Durian: The King of Fruits – Absolutely Delicious, But the Smell is Unforgettable (and That’s Putting it Mildly)

The primary description I ever heard of the durian fruit was that it was like “consuming custard over an open sewer”. I by no means forgot that . . . however who wouldn’t be curious?

A 1903 glossary of Anglo-Indian phrases and phrases described durian as “carrion in custard.” A number of years later, the Australian Naturalist, Edmund J. Banfield, countered with “an unrivalled delicacy… the one case the place Nature has tried her hand on the culinary artwork and overwhelmed all of the Cordon Bleue out of heaven and earth.”

So which is it? For some, durian is likely one of the biggest delicacies on earth; for others, an abhorrent, putrid, repulsive aberration, unthinkable as safe to eat.

Now, I’m conscious that writing about issues controversial just isn’t at all times appreciated, however on this case, I hope I’m on stable floor for plenty of causes.

First, durian is usually described as ‘the King of fruits”. Secondly, based on my analysis, it’s the costliest fruit ever offered.

Lastly, I used to be first launched to durian by our very personal Ian Skellern, when touring in Asia.

Opinions do differ. Anthony Bourdain described it as “like pungent, runny French cheese … Your breath will odor as in the event you’d been French kissing your useless grandmother.”

The extremely revered ‘Oxford Companion to Meals” doesn’t maintain again, “Comparisons have been made with the civet cat, sewage, stale vomit, onions, and cheese; whereas one disaffected customer to Indonesia declared that the consuming of the flesh was not a lot totally different from having to eat used surgical swabs.”

Durian fruit and flesh

Different ‘critiques’ – ‘its odor is finest described as pig-sh*t, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gymnasium sock. It may be smelled from yards away”; “to eat it appears to be the sacrifice of self-respect”; “to anybody who doesn’t like durian it smells like a bunch of useless cats”; “vomit-flavored custard” (thank ‘The Tough Information to Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei’ for that one); “the odor of rotten eggs”; “sewer-gas overtone”; “just like the flesh of some animal in a state of putrefaction”; “consuming ice cream in an outhouse”; “think about to have underneath your nostril a heap of rotten onion and you’ll nonetheless have however a faint concept of the intolerable odor which emanates from these timber and when its fruit is opened the offensive odor turns into even stronger”; “fully rotten mushy onions”; “like consuming raspberry blancmange within the toilet” (this one from novelist Anthony Burgess); “it will possibly odor like a useless animal” and rather more.

Durian fruit sketch (picture courtesy Hoola Van Nooten/Wikipedia)

Some sit on the fence – the Nineteenth-century British naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, wrote, “a wealthy custard extremely flavored with almonds offers one of the best basic concept of it, however there are occasional wafts of taste that recall to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and different incongruous dishes”; the Italian explorer, Giovanni, wrote in 1908, “I need to say that I’ve by no means tasted something extra scrumptious.

However not everybody can get pleasure from or admire this unusual fruit for the disgusting odor that distinguishes it and that’s apt to trigger nausea to a weak abdomen”; Thomas Fuller of the New York Occasions wrote of the resemblance to useless animals, but in addition stated “get all the way down to the pale yellow, creamy flesh, and also you’ll expertise overtones of hazelnut, apricot, caramelized banana and egg custard…

However phrases fail; there is no such thing as a different fruit prefer it.” This love-it-or-hate-it strategy, odd for it to be not a lot dividing the group however inside every individual, could be very a lot the hallmark of this fruit.

The best way the odor appeals to some however repulses others jogs my memory somewhat of Sauvignon Blanc wine. Some adore the grape whereas others discover it totally repellent.

Durian has, nevertheless, lengthy been adored by many and never simply in its Asian homeland. The Seventeenth-century missionary, Jacques de Bourges, wrote, “the flesh is as white as snow, exceeds in delicacy of style of all our greatest European fruits, and none of ours can strategy it.”

Undecided that I’ve ever seen one the place the colour will be in comparison with snow, however he was clearly a fan. Its immense recognition, nevertheless, particularly in Southeast Asia, the place it’s a revered delicacy, speaks volumes. Durian has even impressed native structure.

The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay (photograph courtesy William Cho/Wikipedia)

The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in Singapore was designed to resemble an enormous durian.

It isn’t all plain crusing. Due to their pungent odor, they’re banned from Singapore’s public transit methods. Many lodges in Southeast Asia additionally ban durian from their premises.

Additional afield, on the Isle of Man, firefighters had been known as to take care of a fuel leak. Ultimately, they tracked the issue all the way down to a slightly potent durian. In China, a person failed an on-the-spot breathalyzer take a look at and was accused of drink-driving. He swore he had not touched any alcohol however had been consuming durian.

Subsequent blood checks confirmed no alcohol, whereupon a gaggle of law enforcement officials put durian to the take a look at. All failed their breathalyzer checks, taking them to nearly twice the authorized restrict.

On the Royal Melbourne Institute of Expertise, greater than 500 college students and lecturers had been evacuated as a result of a fuel leak. It was merely a durian hidden in a cabinet. Apparently, the identical factor occurred on a college campus in Canberra.

In Indonesia, a flight was grounded after the passengers complained of the odor – there have been durian within the maintain. Earlier than the flight might depart, the durian needed to be eliminated.

Durian fruit (photograph courtesy www.super-marmite.com)

Naturally, I needed to strive a durian for the needs of this text (any excuse…) and a number of other days later, the home and fridge weren’t but fully freed from the odor. I requested numerous pals their ideas on this most divisive of fruits.

One confessed that as a lot as he liked a former girlfriend, her love of durian meant that the connection had no probability and he was compelled to interrupt up.

Followers of the fruit can pay nearly something they’ll to pay money for a durian. In season, even in the event you don’t reside in Southeast Asia, they need to be available in lots of cities within the higher Asian markets and supermarkets.

For my newest one, I paid A$12/kilogram they usually often weigh from round two to 4 kilos, however can attain six kilos. Good high quality durians, when in demand, will go for significantly extra.

I requested the woman on the native market to choose one that might be excellent for consumption within the subsequent day or two – there’s at all times the priority that a few of the extra unscrupulous would possibly use that as a possibility to dump a dodgy one to the clueless purchaser (I figured that even in that case, I’d be taught one thing and forty bucks just isn’t the top of the world), however she did an excellent job (as occurred, I needed to delay consuming it by a day as we misplaced energy simply earlier than I used to be about to chop into it and at midnight, torch solely, it appeared clever to attend a day – you want a big, very sharp knife and a good bit of power).

It was tending to be fractionally overripe by the point I ate it, which might permit the tiniest intrusion of a vinegar-like observe, however that may be a minor quibble. I liked it!

There are occasions, nevertheless, when the value skyrockets. Till not too long ago, a Yubari King Melon held the document for the costliest fruit, a pair going for US$45,000 (although they’ll often be obtained for only some hundred {dollars}). These melons take 100 days to develop and ripen, throughout which era they’re massaged day by day and apparently, typically even given hats for cover.

Just lately, nevertheless, this was topped by a rich Thai lover of durian who paid an eye-watering US$48,000 for one (it’s attainable {that a} portion of this staggering quantity was destined for charity).

Not all durians are equal. There are round 30 totally different species. Of those, solely 9 or ten produce the edible fruit so adored. Durio zibethinus is the species most typical across the globe (no shock that the scientific title for the Indian civet cat, an animal recognized for its unappealing odour, is Viverra zibetha and there’s debate as as to whether the title happened as a result of they each stink, if one could put it bluntly, or as a result of civets are so keen on consuming durian).

Durians are native to Sumatra and Borneo. Vietnam, the Philippines, Cambodia, Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia, in addition to Indonesia, all have numerous species rising domestically.

In addition to the distinctive aroma, a durian has additionally been described as resembling a medieval weapon. Normally a vivid inexperienced, although often tending to a browner hue, they’re soccer sized although typically oddly formed and are lined with critically spiky thorns (the phrase for thorns within the native Malay is duri).

Care must be taken whereas dealing with them to keep away from accidents. I used to be conscious that falling coconuts killed many individuals in Asia yearly, however I might think about that considered one of these touchdown in your cranium from an excellent top would do much more harm (sure, I perceive that there aren’t any levels of useless). Apparently, as of late, anybody working in durian plantations wears a tough hat.

The flesh contained in the husk is a pale cream/yellow. Some species apparently give pink flesh, although I’ve not seen one. There are 5 segments containing the pulp in every fruit,.

Many assume durians to be a detailed relative of the jackfruit which has a really related look, although smaller spines and fewer harmful. They don’t seem to be associated. What’s slightly curious is that genome testing has revealed that the plant most intently associated to the durian is cotton.

Durian tree in Malaysia (photograph courtesy Yun Huang Yong/Wikipedia)

Bushes can develop as much as fifty meters excessive and might produce a whole bunch of fruits, which is able to begin showing after 4 to 5 years. The fruit takes about three months to completely develop. I’ve some seeds to offer rising one a strive, which is outwardly attainable (the tree prefers the tropics however can deal with climates the place the daytime temperatures don’t drop beneath 22°C – if that occurs, the tree stops rising), though if I all of a sudden had a fifty-meter tree within the yard I’d have a brand new set of issues.

Strategies for the care of a durian tree observe that you have to watch out if orangutans are native to your space as they’re prone to take to it. Thankfully, that’s not prone to be an issue in Brisbane.

Durian flowers are nearly solely pollinated by bats, though sure species of sunbirds and big bees additionally play a task. The primary season for the fruit is June to September.

Flesh of the durian fruit (photograph courtesy www.super-marmite.com)

The preferred breed of durian is the Musang King. It dates again to the Nineteen Eighties when a gentleman from Pahang, Tan Lai Fook, discovered a tree in Gua Musang in Kelantan (a State in northern Malaysia). He lower off a department and grafted it. Musang, in Malay, references the palm civet. The flesh of this breed is vivid yellow and it’s now essentially the most sought-after durian in Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.

Some will declare that the blackthorn durian is even higher, however my pals from the area guarantee me that, whereas each are great, the Musang King is extra dependable and extra constant. They insist that to be at its finest a blackthorn durian wants to return from an outdated tree.

Thailand is the world’s largest exporter of durian, rising some 700,000 tonnes yearly, regardless that the fruit just isn’t native there. Of their manufacturing, 400,000 tonnes go to China and Hong Kong. Malaysia and Indonesia each produce over 1 / 4 of 1,000,000 tonnes yearly.

These nations now have large-scale farming operations for this fruit – this has contributed to deforestation in these areas and the hostile impression on the native wildlife. Even Australia, additionally a rustic the place durian was by no means native, exports over 100,000 tonnes simply to China and Singapore. Extra elsewhere.

The rationale for the pungent odor is the existence of ethanethiol, or ethyl mercaptan, within the fruit. People can detect its odor in as little as 0.36 elements per billion. It’s a minor part of petroleum and is even added to numerous odorless gaseous merchandise so that people can shortly detect fuel leaks.

This happened as a result of in 1838, the Union Oil Firm of California seen that at any leak, turkey vultures would shortly collect, attracted by the rotten odor. In order that they elevated the quantity of ethanethiol within the fuel to make the detection of any leak simpler.

These smells assist appeal to animals within the jungles that love the fruit and assist to disperse the seeds. The armory of thorns discourages smaller creatures, which means that the bigger animals usually tend to disperse the seeds over a better space – good for the continuation of the species.

Pigs, deer, orangutan, elephants, solar bears and even tigers are recognized to eat durian once they can. Evidently animals shouldn’t have the identical aversion to the fruit that afflicts people.

For people, the diploma of most well-liked ripeness tends to differ from nation to nation. They are going to proceed to ripen after harvesting. For the bigger timber, it’s essential to attend till the fruit falls. Many will freeze durians till they get to market, wherever that could be.

Clearly, merely reducing them open and consuming the fruit/pulp inside is a standard technique of consumption, however durian can also be utilized in rice dishes, curries, bread, pancakes, sauces, truffles, soups, juices, candies, desserts, milkshakes, ice-cream and rather more.

They’re even made into durian chips at occasions. Fermented durian paste is usually served with catfish. Supplied they’re cooked, the seeds can be eaten.

Durian fruit (photograph courtesy Kalai/Wikipedia)

Whereas scrumptious – or not, if you don’t like them – durians are thought-about to be extraordinarily wholesome (some additionally imagine them to be an aphrodisiac – I assume higher them than killing rhinos for his or her horns or tigers for different elements, underneath the identical delusion, although little doubt equally ineffective).

Well being advantages differ relying on species, however generally, durian fruit/pulp is 65% water, 27% carbohydrates (which incorporates 4% dietary fiber), 5% fats and 1% protein. So, 100 grams of durian, which will be uncooked or contemporary frozen, present between 30% and 60% of the day by day requirement of thiamine (sources on this differ), and contributes to different B nutritional vitamins, vitamin C (80% of the day by day requirement) and extra.

On common, 100 grams will present between 10 and 40% of the day by day requirement of manganese, B6, potassium, riboflavin, copper, folate, magnesium and niacin. Durians are particularly wealthy in oleic acid and palmitic acid.

They’re additionally excessive in antioxidants. Search the web and it’s troublesome to seek out something that durian received’t allegedly remedy. Really, a superfood.

That stated, apparently, an excessive amount of durian will be unhealthy, particularly to your liver, however concern not. It’s estimated that an individual weighing 70 kilograms must eat 1.2 tonnes of durian in a day to be harmed. I think one’s checking account would undergo way over your well being in the event you tried that.

So, is there any specific wine that pairs with durian? There has lengthy been a perception that consuming both espresso or alcohol with durian is to be prevented. The jury is out on this, however it’s understood that the excessive sulfur ranges within the fruit do work to assist forestall the environment friendly elimination of poisons from the physique to the extent of 70%.

In the long run, you have to make up your personal thoughts, assuming you will discover them. Some will keep away from durians religiously and nothing I say will change that. I strongly advocate even the largest skeptic do all the pieces they’ll to get a very good one first up (begin with a nasty one and that may absolutely be the top) and to offer it a go. Chances are you’ll discover a new ardour.

Lastly, the Thais are so enamored of durian that they’re testing sending a few of the flesh into area on unmanned area flights to see the way it fares (Thailand is but to really get to area so you possibly can see their priorities), inspecting texture and style.

The plan is to be prepared to make sure that their astronauts, when the day lastly comes, will likely be nicely catered for – as a lot as I like the stuff, I’m not positive I might wish to be in a confined area with that odor for 4 or 5 days, irrespective of how good it tastes.

* This text was first revealed 13 February 2023 at Durian: The King of Fruits – Completely Scrumptious, However The Scent Is Unforgettable (And That’s Placing It Mildly)

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