Durian

[Dilbertian]

People say that durian smells awful but tastes wonderful.

Wrong. It tastes exactly as it smells, just sweeter.

I thought since Covid damaged my sense of smell, I might now be able to appreciate durian. Nope. It still tastes exactly as it smells, just sweeter.

So, is there anything non-wasteful that I can do with the remains of this bag?

(For anyone who hasn't experienced durian, it smells like some sort of fuel, kerosene maybe, and you can still smell it in your mouth while you eat it.)

If it’s dried, it does has a distinctly different taste to the fresh stuff. I like it with cold custard but my family think I’m weird (and refuse to be anywhere near me when I’m indulging). Jellied durian sweets also nice, but goodness knows how you’d make them!

Oddly my best friend absolutely adores this and has a fresh one every year for her birthday. She gave me a little of it and after gipping all I could taste (for hours !) was fermented onions. I presume it’s a bit like coriander ? Some people can taste soap.

I was on a train once going in to Malaysia from Singapore, over the bridge. A truck full of the stuff went past on the road side. OMG. The smell had me gagging.

Fresh or dried the stuff is awful. Fresh, the texture gets me - almost beyond the smell and flavour. Personally it would be straight in the compost or rubbish (depending on what your local council collect).

I like fresh durian but it does smell like rotting fruit mixed with onions.

The dried stuff isn’t very nice IMO.

If you don’t like it, I don’t think there is anything you can do with it that will make it more palatable. Give it away on Olio?

I was on a train once going in to Malaysia from Singapore, over the bridge. A truck full of the stuff went past on the road side. OMG. The smell had me gagging.

I once got on a plane in KL and the crew refused to leave until whoever had brought a durian into the cabin agreed to have it taken off the aircraft.

I can't help OP though - I love the fresh stuff but have never had it dried.

Triple-bag it. Then put it in a Tupperware. Then put in the bin. 🤢

It's 20 years since I was in Singapore but the smelly memory remains ingrained in me 😩😂

I thought it was illegal to import durian into the country? Possibly I am wrong.

You used to be able to buy it at the Oriental City retail park in Colindale, North London. However the durian stall was outside in the car park 😁.

It’s delicious the fresh fruit … smell is quite the opposite…

That’s a myth. There are often signs at check in at airports with durian on the list of prohibited items but that is airline policy not law.

Although you can’t bring most fruit or vegetables from outside the EU into the UK, unless you have phytosanitary certification for it, to prevent the spread of plant diseases. Funnily enough, durian is on the list of fruits that don’t need certification.

You can buy it supermarkets in Chinatown.

35 here! We were taken to dinner at Raffles. Our hosts thought it would be funny to watch us eating it (had never heard of the stuff). Honestly, felt like punching them.

I had it straight from the tree in Cambodia recently, it's delicious.

It's absolutely revolting.
I've tried it several times to see if it got better as I'm a very adventurous eater, but nope.

I tried it once , in Singapore, more than 20 years ago.

The awful taste stayed with me for days. It’s foul.

We bought fresh durian in the fruit market in Chiang Mai - it taste like sick to me and has a disconcerting texture!

Fresh Durian tastes totally different to dried or whatever, quite tame compared to the real thing,

Its a very acquired taste, love it or hate it!

Its texture is like custard with a taste of very ripe 'Stinking Bishop' cheese type of flavour. Comes in different coloured flesh, best is the darker yellow/orange (IMO) the best.

But a word or warning, do not drink beer after eating it, it will ferment in your stomach and you may be rather ill!

And yes it is banned from may airlines and forbidden to be taken into hotels or your room for a good reason, the smell lingers both in the are and on your skin.

But I like it!

Stinking Bishop absolutely lives up to its name in smell, but is surprisingly bland and flavourless.