As compared to Western fruits, Asian fruits in general have a very distinctive taste and aroma. While some can be easily acceptable to those new with the rich taste, some only acquire a liking towards them upon numerous trials. One very good example of such a fruit would be the Durian.
Known as the King of Fruits, the Durian has an odor extremely foul like no other fruit, with a formidable-looking skin protecting its soft, tender fruit. Yet, people would go through the trouble of fighting through the thorny-looking façade to experience the juicy bit inside. So what makes this fruit that can weigh up to ten pounds so special?
If you crack open a Durian, you will see sections of seeds neatly arranged, which is covered with a creamy, custard-looking flesh. Some would describe the experience of eating the fruit as eating custards in a lavatory. It is not something people would enjoy doing, but the experience itself is special. Some people would hold their noses as they eat the fruit, attempting to enjoy the fruit without the smell. Yet, the smell lingers in the mouth and clothes for a long while.
The unpleasant smell of the fruit is so strong and lasting, that it is forbidden in hotels, restaurants, and public transports, even where Durians are famous for. This controversial, seasonal Asian fruit is very well-known that there are also specially-made signs that indicate no Durians allowed in the vicinity. Some people try to hide them when they enter the hotel, but the odor is so strong that it easily escapes to the whole floor if opened in a hotel room.
This King of Fruits is also said to be an aphrodisiac. Eating it makes your body feel warm, where Asian cultures believe that it is a “heating” fruit, which needs to be countered by consuming a “cooling” fruit, or by drinking water off the emptied shell of the Durian. One belief about the fruit and its “heating” element is that consuming it with alcohol can be deadly, since alcohol warms your body, too.
Durians are so loved that some cultures have also made Durians into dishes, by making them into flavorings for cakes and candy, or eaten with a meal. It seems that it is unstoppable to how far people would go to eating it.