The “king of fruits,” the strangest fruit in the world, at once the most delicious and the most repulsive, the most nourishing and the most dangerous — His Majesty, the Durian.
- What Durian Actually Smells and Tastes Like
- Durian in Thai Cuisine: From Ice Cream to Jam
- Is Durian Good for You? Benefits and Health Warnings
- Where and When to Eat the Best Durian
What Durian Actually Smells and Tastes Like
If you’ve never been to Southeast Asia or Brazil, you’ve probably never heard of it, let alone tasted it, since this particular fruit is never exported.
Almost every hotel in Southeast Asia carries a sign reading “Durian strictly forbidden,” and you’ll be warned about it again at check-in, usually with the threat of a hefty fine attached. Durian is also banned on public transport and on flights, and it’s best not brought indoors at all if you can help it. Because it… reeks. It smells like sweaty socks left to rot, like rancid onions, like spoiled fish and sewage combined. Locals sum it up neatly: “Hell on the outside…”
And then they finish the thought: “…paradise within.” Durian flesh is considered a genuine delicacy, and in Thailand it’s the most expensive fruit you can buy — a piece roughly the size of a banana will set you back at least $3, and that same piece will contain two large stones, so you certainly won’t overindulge. Describing its taste is next to impossible. For one thing, it tastes different to everyone. For another, there are some 30 species of durian, and over 200 distinct varieties. What can be said with confidence is that the finest fruit grows in Thailand, with a soft, creamy flesh. The flavour itself is pleasant enough, and genuinely unusual — though the one I tried carried a faint oniony note. Without that, I’d have called it magnificent.
On Bali, by contrast, the durian was dreadful — its texture closer to chicken meat, and its flavour… hard to place, but certainly not good.
Durian in Thai Cuisine: From Ice Cream to Jam
Across Southeast Asia, durian finds its way into ice cream, sweets, jam, sauces, seasonings, side dishes. I once tried a bun filled with durian jam, and wasn’t remotely impressed.
Is Durian Good for You? Benefits and Health Warnings
Beyond its extraordinary smell and taste, durian carries some genuinely impressive health benefits — it’s the only fruit in the world containing organic sulphur, which happens to be remarkably good for you. Unsurprisingly, Asians with a fondness for traditional medicine make wide use of durian for healing, detoxing and general bodily restoration.
But durian wouldn’t be durian without a dark side to balance it all out — everyone, without exception, is advised against eating it in large quantities. From those brave enough to test the limits themselves, I’ve heard reports of something close to a drug-like high. Combined with alcohol, meanwhile, that same beneficial sulphur turns almost toxic: it suppresses aldehyde dehydrogenase, the liver enzyme responsible for breaking down alcohol, leading to a build-up of toxins in the body. For this reason, durian should never be eaten while drunk, or alongside alcohol, and you should hold off on drinking for at least an hour afterwards. It’s also inadvisable for anyone with high blood pressure, and for pregnant or breastfeeding women, and best avoided by anyone with pancreatic issues, since it’s even richer in fat than avocado and can be difficult to digest.
Incidentally, the name “durian” has nothing to do with its ability to cloud the mind — it comes from the Malay word duri, meaning “thorn.”
Where and When to Eat the Best Durian
The best durian I ever ate was on Koh Chang. The ideal time to try it is April to May, when the fruit comes into season. Along the eastern side of the island, you’ll find plenty of little durian stalls — tables piled with fruit beneath a simple sign. Best to eat it right there on the spot, too: even a trace of durian left in a car produces a stench so nauseating you’ll end up driving with every window down.
