I don’t believe that I could enjoy eating a durian that has no smell. The aroma is part of the fun! It took me long enough to appreciate the scent and taste, each with its complexity. Ah, well…
Below is an excerpt from a recent news article. Follow the link to read more. For those that no nothing of this odoriferous fruit, you may find the info interesting. Enjoy!
NEW, SWEET FRUIT SOUR SIGHT TO SOME [Thomas Fuller, The New York Times]
Tung Phaen, Thailand — You can take the sugar out of soft drinks and the fat from junk food. But eliminate the pungent odor from what may be the world’s smelliest fruit and brace for a major controversy.
The durian, a spiky fruit native to Southeast Asia, has been variously described by its detractors as smelling like garbage, moldy cheese or rotting fish. It is banned from many hotels, airlines and the Singapore subway. But durian lovers — and there are many, at least in Asia — are convinced that like fine French cheeses, the worse the smell, the better the taste.
Under the durian’s hardy shell are sections of pale yellow flesh with a consistency that can be as soft and oozy as custard and a flavor that is nutty and sweet with hints of vanilla and an occasional bitter bite.
“To anyone who doesn’t like durian, it smells like a bunch of dead cats,” said Bob Halliday, a food writer in Bangkok. “But as you get to appreciate durian, the smell is not offensive at all. It’s attractive. It makes you drool like a mastiff.”
Nevertheless, a Thai government scientist, who after three decades of research is one of the world’s leading durian experts, now says he has managed to excise its stink. Read More
