"durian" news and stories

A Thai scientist has managed to strip the durian, a Southeast Asian delicacy, known as the king of fruit, of its signature funky aroma. What's next, fatless bacon?

Songpol Somsri, who grew up on a durian orchard, crossed more than 90 types of the spiky fruit to create Chantaburi No. 1, which is said to smell as mild as a banana. As anyone who's read Tony Bourdain's A Cook's Tour can tell you, a durian's natural aroma is nothing at all like a banana. So noxious is the fruit's aroma that it's banned from Singapore's subways. Bourdain characterizes it thusly: "like you'd buried somebody holding a big wheel of Stilton in his arms, then dug him up a few weeks later." That aside Bourdain likes them. He really, really likes them.

I can understand his attraction somewhat. Several years my fellow blogger and intrepid eater, Jonathan, sampled one with some friends. Sure, the flesh is custardy, creamy, smooth and sweet. But it has a a definite funky undertone, kinda like garlic steeped in jet fuel, that stays with you for several hours. That aside, I say leave the durian as nature made it, in all its stinky splendor.

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If you're familiar at all with the typical fruits of tropical Asia, you've probably heard of durian. It's a fruit, alright, but it certainly doesn't give off the heavenly fruity scent of regular tropical fruits. According to the reports (I have, myself, never been around the stuff), durian smells really, really, really bad. I have heard phrases like "sewage pipes" and "rotting onions." However, like many foods that are often fairly foul upon first experience, durian is considered a sort of delicacy, and for food blogger Babe in the City, durian is enough of a delight that it was mashed into a pulp and added to cupcakes!

Now the only question is, what flavor frosting goes with "rotting onions?"

Durian is a large, spike-covered fruit from South East Asia, sometimes known as the "king of fruits," and famous enough to make the list of 50 things to eat before you die. The fruits weigh anywhere from 2 to 10-pounds and are famous for their unusually creamy texture and rich taste to those who like it, but the most famous quality of durian is its unmistakable odor, described as everything from a combination of onions and sweaty socks to rotting fish and sewage. The smell can extend for up to 1/2 mile, drawing the many animals that like to eat it, including pigs, elephants, squirrels and even tigers, right to the ripe fruits. The ripening process continues even after the fruit has been removed from the tree, developing more pungency and a creamier texture. Due to the texture of the flesh, which is that of thick custard, it is considered to be a delicacy and a treat to many people.

When one sets out to create a list, it is important to set standards. What criteria will be used to rule out inappropriate items? Why is this item on the list in the first place? The BBC's list of the top 50 things to eat before you die seems to be lacking some of these standards. Apparently, viewers and readers voted on food items, which were narrowed to a field of 50 based on the number of votes received. The top 10 were:

1. Fresh fish
2. Lobster
3. Steak
4. Thai food
5. Chinese food
6. Ice cream
7. Pizza
8. Crab
9. Curry
10. Prawns

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