How smelly is the durian?
tags:
Stumble ThisI found a Vietnamese restaurant that serves durian smoothies. It tastes kinda like a strong onion smoothie. I haven't had the real fruit yet.
Travel and food writer Richard Sterling says:
“ ... its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia."
Other comparisons have been made with the civet, sewage, stale vomit, skunk spray and used surgical swabs.
Travel and food writer Richard Sterling says:
“ ... its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia."
Other comparisons have been made with the civet, sewage, stale vomit, skunk spray and used surgical swabs.
*cooking
Durian is sold at many markets and local shops where I live (Uttaradit province for anyone familiar with Thailand). If there is a large amount of them, particularly if any have been cut open, I can smell them from fairly far away; say 4 meters or 12 feet or so. I had heard about them before I came here, and had expectations of them having an indescribably horrendous smell, but even when I first encountered them I didn't think that the smell was very bad.
At first, I thought it was mildly objectionable, but less so than any of the smells commonly used to describe it (rotten meat, etc.). I don't really agree with any of the things I've heard the smell compared to. I've never heard anyone compare it to vomit before, I definitely don't agree with that one. Smelling vomit almost instantly makes me want to vomit also, I have to plug my nose quickly to avoid that reaction.
I tried eating durian after I had been here about 6 months or so. In that first tasting, I thought that the taste was notably different than the smell. It has a very strange consistency for a fruit; it is soft and creamy, and can get to be almost pudding-like as it ripens. It has lightly fibrous strings in it, sort of like the stringy bits inside a banana peel -- not at all strong. I don't know how to describe the taste other than to say it reminds me of cream liquors, minus the alcohol of course. In my first tasting I thought that it was good, but nothing too special -- particularly when compared to all the other fantastic fresh fruits here (mangosteens are a personal favorite, along with mango, papaya, etc.)
Since then I have developed a taste for it, and eat it pretty regularly when it is in season. I enjoy the flavor a lot now, and I even have come to enjoy the smell of it. I never had a violent reaction to the smell like the test subject in this video. I am not sure if that is genetic, cultural, or if there are varieties of durian elsewhere in SE Asia that have a stronger smell. Some of the other westerners that I know here have developed a taste for it like I have, and some hate it.
^Second on the Mangosteen!
*Fermented lower quality durian.
At least none of you had to use Durian Flavored ToothPaste
Smell is about the same as when I need to take my kitchen garbage out... mostly a pungent, rotting fruit smell.
Taste is very different. Reminded me of eating garlic pudding. Once you start eating it you can't really smell it anymore. So usually if people around you are eating it the only sane thing to do is join in!
Now he leaves the rind on the counter and I quickly find a reason to leave home.
I think there's just a gene in some people that smell and taste it worse (sort of how the smell of asparagus pee cannot be detected by people missing a certain gene). It's pretty unbelievable that Andrew Zimmern of the show Bizarre Foods on Travel Channel, who has eaten every strange and disgusting thing on earth, cannot stomach the taste of durian.
If you eat lots of asparagus, your urine will acquire super-powers and will be known throughout the world.
Adding video to channels (Asia, British, Cooking, Nature, Science) - requested by maatc.
downunder
SIGH
After reading the comments, I wish I hadn't upvoted. I mean, I wouldn't downvote, but wth -- LIES?
Not necessarily lies, as most people (including Thai natives) do find the Durian's smell quite objectionable, although probably not nearly as much as in the video. I've once heard it be described as "Tastes like heaven, smells like hell", which is probably an accurate quote. I myself actually love both the taste and smell of Durian, although I can't imagine a Durian smoothie - we don't even really drink that here.
[edit]
Duh. I just watched the video again and it actually starts out with a big picture of it. me==fail