Durian: The King of Fruits That Makes Rooms Hold Their Breath
Durian is infamous for its sharp, unmistakable aroma that can fill a room long before you see the fruit. People describe the scent as rotten eggs, sewage, or cooked onions—so powerful that many airlines and hotels ban bringing it inside. If you decide to try it, the flesh is creamy and sweet, a surprising, dessert-like experience. A typical durian fruit weighs about 600 grams and carries roughly 900 calories, making it dense in energy as well as polarizing in scent.
In This Article:
What is Durian? A Thorny Tropical Fruit with Creamy Yellow Flesh
Durian grows on evergreen trees in Southeast Asia. The edible fruits are large ellipses up to 30 cm long, with thick, spiky rind. Inside sits yellow flesh with a custard-like texture and a sweet, almond-like aroma. The fruit is eaten fresh, or added to hot noodles, pastries, sauces, and desserts.
The Smell and the Science: Why Durian Smells So Strong
The smell is the durian's most famous feature. Ripe fruits are described as carrying notes of sulfur, sewage, rot, and rotten eggs, while unripe fruits smell herbaceous. Scientists have identified as many as 40 bioactive compounds in durian, with the main ones being sulfur-containing molecules, esters, ketones, and alcohols. This cocktail of compounds creates the distinctive, multi-layer aroma that defines the experience of the fruit.
Taste, Texture, and Nutrition: A Dessert-like Powerhouse
Taste arrives as a paradox: sweet, gently spicy, with a hint of bitterness and a nutty edge. Flavor notes are often described as caramelized vanilla custard, roasted almonds, and hints of onion sweetness. Nutritionally, a 600 g fruit can supply about 900 kcal. It is rich in vitamin C (about 47 mg per 200 g serving), vitamin B6 (around 0.77 mg per 100 g), and potassium (roughly 1,060 mg per 100 g), plus dietary fiber (about 3.8 g per 100 g). It also contains polyphenols and other antioxidants, as well as tryptophan, which supports mood by helping produce serotonin and melatonin. The glycemic index is listed as 0–55.
Cautions, Culture, and Cousins: From Bans to Jackfruit
Safety, etiquette, and cultural notes: possible allergies and high potassium can pose risks for people with kidney issues; contact dermatitis from sap or rind is rare but has been reported. While not strictly forbidden, sulfur compounds in durian may affect alcohol metabolism, sometimes causing facial flushing, rapid heartbeat, drowsiness, vomiting. Some countries ban exporting durian or restrict its use in confined spaces; for example, Thailand enforces such export limits. If the smell proves overwhelming, durian can still be enjoyed through processed forms like ice cream, candies, pastries, or smoothies, often paired with banana and coconut milk. Jackfruit is a related tropical fruit that grows across Asia, Africa, and the Americas; it belongs to the same family as fig and mulberry. Jackfruit can reach up to about 60 cm, and when ripe it has a sweet taste reminiscent of banana and pineapple with a pleasant aroma.
