# Anyone tried durian?



## qmax (Oct 21, 2007)

Local Asian market carries them.  Thinking of buying one.  Wife doesn't want me to bring one home though.


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## Katie H (Oct 21, 2007)

I haven't, qmax. Look here for a discussion about it here on DC.


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## qmax (Oct 21, 2007)

Katie E said:


> I haven't, qmax. Look here for a discussion about it here on DC.



Interesting.  The fruit seems to be perceived differently by each person.

Here's the wiki article:

Durian - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## jennyema (Oct 22, 2007)

Yes.

To me it smelled and tasted like garbage and gasoline.

Once was enough.


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## BreezyCooking (Oct 22, 2007)

Both Andrew Zimmern ("Bizarre Foods") & Anthony Bourdain ("No Reservations") tried durian on episodes of their shows.  Neither one liked it, & considering the things they eat on their programs, I'd consider that a very dubious endorsement.

Not only that, but both mentioned that the smell of durian is so unpleasant & so intense that it's barred from being taken on ground public transportation, into hotels, or on planes in the countries where it's sold.

That alone should tell you something.


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## GB (Oct 22, 2007)

BreezyCooking said:


> Not only that, but both mentioned that the smell of durian is so unpleasant & so intense that it's barred from being taken on ground public transportation, into hotels, or on planes in the countries where it's sold.
> 
> That alone should tell you something.


I hear what you are saying Breezy, but I do not completely agree with your last statement. Think of all the stinky cheeses that make your nose want to run and hide, but once you get them in your mouth they are delicious. Granted none of them (to my knowledge) have been banned from public transportation or other public places, but I have smelled some cheeses that I wished were.

There are many people who love durian. So much so that it's nickname is "The G-d Of All Fruit".


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## jennyema (Oct 22, 2007)

BreezyCooking said:


> Not only that, but both mentioned that the smell of durian is so unpleasant & so intense that it's barred from being taken on ground public transportation, into hotels, or on planes in the countries where it's sold.
> 
> That alone should tell you something.


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## BreezyCooking (Oct 22, 2007)

BIG-TIME THANKS Jennyema!!!!!

GB - I'm a big-time "stinky cheese" fan.  I ADORED Leiderkranz (RIP), & buy "authentic" limburger when I can get it.

But when I see folks who regularly eat insects, "stinky" (aka fermented) tofu, & other things that I can't mention here because they'd be censored, literally spit durian out of their mouths on camera, I figure I can pretty much assume that I won't like it.  Nor will probably 99% of the rest of the foodie population.

But as you say - to each his own.  Just don't go touting that durian is being given bad press by a bunch of weenies.  Just ain't so.  LOL!!


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## QSis (Oct 22, 2007)

qmax said:


> Wife doesn't want me to bring one home though.


 
Buy it, keep it in the trunk, then try it at work the next day.

And PLEASE post your opinion, after you've tried it!  I'm intrigued, but too chicken to try it myself.

Lee


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## BreezyCooking (Oct 22, 2007)

Qsis - do you not bother to read previous posts??  This isn't something you can "buy & keep in the trunk".  Geesh.


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## qmax (Oct 22, 2007)

BreezyCooking said:


> Both Andrew Zimmern ("Bizarre Foods") & Anthony Bourdain ("No Reservations") tried durian on episodes of their shows.  Neither one liked it, & considering the things they eat on their programs, I'd consider that a very dubious endorsement.
> 
> Not only that, but both mentioned that the smell of durian is so unpleasant & so intense that it's barred from being taken on ground public transportation, into hotels, or on planes in the countries where it's sold.
> 
> That alone should tell you something.




As I recall Bourdain liked it very much, compared it to some French cheeses.  Sat on the deck of the place he was staying and chowing down on the stuff.

Zimmern spit it out.


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## Indigo_Swale (Oct 22, 2007)

I wish! 

I'm so curious about this fruit! A little apprehensive, but I hope I'd be brave enough to try a bite. 

The wikipedia article suggests that a number of different species of durian are eaten in SE Asia, and the different species, cultivars and clones can have very different qualities. Degree of ripeness, they say, also has a great effect on odor and flavor of the fruit. 

My botany professor, who has spent a lot of time in Madagascar, told me that he kind of liked it. He also said that fresh durian you get straight from the tree in the place where it's grown is very different from anything you can find in the States.

The fruit I really wanna try even more than durian is *mangosteen*--the "queen of fruits" to durian's "king." Last I heard, it was illegal to import into the continental U.S. But I think I read that this might change soon...


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## qmax (Oct 22, 2007)

Indigo_Swale said:


> I wish!
> 
> I'm so curious about this fruit! A little apprehensive, but I hope I'd be brave enough to try a bite.
> 
> ...



Grown in Hawaii, import ban in the CONUS.

Mangosteen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## QSis (Oct 22, 2007)

BreezyCooking said:


> Qsis - do you not bother to read previous posts?? This isn't something you can "buy & keep in the trunk". Geesh.


 
Yes, I did read the posts before I posted (it annoys the heck out of me when others do not). 

I have seen these fruits in my local Super 88 supermarket. I assumed that they smelled when they were cut into, and that they would be fine in a trunk overnight.

Your posts are getting more and more rude there, Breezy.

Lee


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## Katie H (Oct 22, 2007)

Actually, I  think  the  comment  was  more  "tongue in  cheek."  More  like  qmax "sneaking" the fruit by his wife and eating it  at  his office.  Never took it to mean he should  store it in his trunk.


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## jennyema (Oct 23, 2007)

QSis said:


> Yes, I did read the posts before I posted (it annoys the heck out of me when others do not).
> 
> I have seen these fruits in my local Super 88 supermarket. I assumed that they smelled when they were cut into, and that they would be fine in a trunk overnight.
> 
> ...


 

I think you could buy it and keep it in the trunk.  When you see them at the Super 88 whole, they don't smell as bad as when you cut into them.  Then they really stink.  If you don't mind a car that smells a bit like you hauled your trash to the dump without a bag and then spilled gas on it, then you might try it.

The combination of the rancid/rotten with the petroleum is very weird.


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## QSis (Oct 23, 2007)

Hey, how about storing it in a cooler until you were ready to eat it? It would keep it cool and contain the "fragrance" .  

Lee


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## keltin (Oct 23, 2007)

qmax said:


> As I recall Bourdain liked it very much, compared it to some French cheeses. Sat on the deck of the place he was staying and chowing down on the stuff.
> 
> Zimmern spit it out.


 
Yeah, Bourdain actually loves the stuff. This site has the clip where he buys one and eats it. Not sure I could do it though. Many people say it's like "eating custard in a sewer". I don't think that is for me! 

After seeing that clip, I'm not so sure I'd like the texture of it anyway.


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## keltin (Oct 23, 2007)

Just found a site that reports a successful cross breeding of Durian that has yielded an odorless fruit. Oddly enough, people are upset by this!


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## T-roy (Oct 23, 2007)

I like it, my Mom likes it, Bourdain likes it but it will make your car smell if you leave in the trunk. I think it tastes like custard with a bit of mango (but not sour). The texture is slimy & somewhat stringy. I brought one to a BBQ & most of the people that tried it were fine with it after getting past the smell. There was one gagging incident though.


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## keltin (Oct 23, 2007)

T-roy said:


> I like it, my Mom likes it, Bourdain likes it but it will make your car smell if you leave in the trunk. I think it tastes like custard with a bit of mango (but not sour). The texture is slimy & somewhat stringy. I brought one to a BBQ & most of the people that tried it were fine with it after getting past the smell. There was *one gagging incident though*.


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## h2oct (Nov 28, 2007)

I agree with GB's comment.  The smell isn't that bad compared to some cheeses I've smelled and tasted.  I happen to like durian.  As a friend once told me, "it smells like ****, but tastes like heaven."  I wouldn't go as far to say that but my Mom loves it too.  I think only Asians eat durian as I've never seen a non-Asian enjoy tasting it.

Breezy, i happen to like stinky tofu.


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## Bilby (Nov 28, 2007)

I had lunch at a Thai restaurant with a Tamil friend some time ago and he suggested I try Durian, if I was game.  Whether because he braced me for the smell, or the durian we had was just not that good, I found the smell quite tame.  Mango stinks in comparison in my mind. And while not many Australians supposedly like it, it sells in our local grocery stores, perhaps cos so many folk go to Bali and have got used to it.


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## dougiezerts (Dec 30, 2007)

Curiously, none of you have really described how it actually tastes!
I've seen it in some local Asian markets. And I've also seen products flavored on it in these same markets. And yes, I'm curious.
But how does it taste?


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## Fincher (Dec 30, 2007)

I've had it and quite enjoyed it.  They used to sell them at an asian market in Poughkeepsie Ny where I went to culinary school  

They are supposely growing various breeds that don't smell bad so shipping will be easier.  I haven't had one of the "unscented" varieties.  I imagine some of the mistique and peculiarites that make Durian so special would be lost if it didn't have its tell-tale scent.

I made icecream with it, and the smell dicipates greatly (as you know smells do when frozen)  it came out wonderfully.  great taste without the smell.

The thing is dangerous though, those spikes hurt!


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## T-roy (Dec 30, 2007)

dougiezerts said:


> Curiously, none of you have really described how it actually tastes!
> I've seen it in some local Asian markets. And I've also seen products flavored on it in these same markets. And yes, I'm curious.
> But how does it taste?


 
"I think it tastes like custard with a bit of mango (but not sour)."


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## Fincher (Dec 30, 2007)

Its like what T-roy described above, but eating a mango custard while in a sewer with dead rats around.

Its called the "King of all Fruits"


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## babetoo (Dec 30, 2007)

*why?*

why would u force your self to eat a smelly, not good tasting fruit?  there are too many fruits to keep u busy.

i happen to think a mango stinks, so i never buy them, tastes some rotten fruit.

babe


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## GB (Dec 30, 2007)

Who said it is not good tasting babetoo? Smelly yes, but those who enjoy the taste _really_ enjoy the taste.


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## Fisher's Mom (Dec 30, 2007)

After seeing Anthony B's show where he eats durian, I've been dying to get a whiff of one just to see how bad it would have to smell to be to have it banned in public places. But honestly, I doubt I'd actually eat something that _stinks_.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Dec 30, 2007)

I've neither heard of this fruit, smelled, or tasted it.  But I do know a thing about flavors.  From what I've read here, this is a strong smelling, and strong flavored fruit.  Typically, with food items that are extreme, i.e. liverwurst, beer, whiskey, raw onion, ripened cheeses, people either tend to love them, or detest them.

There are a host of people who love mints, especially peppermint.  Peppermint is a very strong mint and makes me gag.  I just plain don't like the other mints.  But then again, I love liver, and liverwurst which makes my wife gag.  I would assume this is what's going on with durian.

So, I would try it.  If it didn't suit my taste, well, I wouldn't have to try it a second time.  If I loved it, then my life would be richer.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Fisher's Mom (Dec 30, 2007)

Goodweed of the North said:


> I've neither heard of this fruit, smelled, or tasted it.  But I do know a thing about flavors.  From what I've read here, this is a strong smelling, and strong flavored fruit.  Typically, with food items that are extreme, i.e. liverwurst, beer, whiskey, raw onion, ripened cheeses, people either tend to love them, or detest them.
> 
> There are a host of people who love mints, especially peppermint.  Peppermint is a very strong mint and makes me gag.  I just plain don't like the other mints.  But then again, I love liver, and liverwurst which makes my wife gag.  I would assume this is what's going on with durian.
> 
> ...


You're probably right, Goodweed. You'd hate it at my house this week - I'm trying to get raccoons to vacate my attic so have sprayed a lot of pure peppermint oil up there. Apparently it makes raccoons gag, too, because they made a _lot_ of noise trying to get the heck out of there!


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Dec 30, 2007)

Fisher's Mom said:


> You're probably right, Goodweed. You'd hate it at my house this week - I'm trying to get raccoons to vacate my attic so have sprayed a lot of pure peppermint oil up there. Apparently it makes raccoons gag, too, because they made a _lot_ of noise trying to get the heck out of there!



So that's why I have those dark bands around my eyes.  And here I thought it was becasue I was a super-hero.

Seeeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Fisher's Mom (Dec 30, 2007)

Goodweed! I just read the list of yummies you're having tomorrow night -  you may well be a super-hero! I don't think I've ever made that many dishes for one event in my life!


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## ErikC (Jan 2, 2008)

qmax said:


> As I recall Bourdain liked it very much, compared it to some French cheeses. Sat on the deck of the place he was staying and chowing down on the stuff.
> 
> Zimmern spit it out.


 
Bourdain also enjoyed Haggis, as well as some other "strong-flavored" dishes with mixed reviews. I think this alone has convinced me to try it. When the rest of the family is out.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 2, 2008)

Fisher's Mom said:


> Goodweed! I just read the list of yummies you're having tomorrow night - you may well be a super-hero! I don't think I've ever made that many dishes for one event in my life!



We did it and it was a very very good night, with good freinds, lots of laughter, and a great start to a new year.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Bilby (Jan 3, 2008)

dougiezerts said:


> Curiously, none of you have really described how it actually tastes!
> I've seen it in some local Asian markets. And I've also seen products flavored on it in these same markets. And yes, I'm curious.
> But how does it taste?


You know, I can't really remember how it tasted.  It was served with wild sticky rice from memory, had the texture of mango and was rather innocuous (I think!) - certainly no flavour that stands out in my mind. I remember the rice more than the fruit.


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## Bilby (Jan 3, 2008)

Indigo_Swale said:


> IThe fruit I really wanna try even more than durian is *mangosteen*--the "queen of fruits" to durian's "king." Last I heard, it was illegal to import into the continental U.S. But I think I read that this might change soon...


I bought a mangosteen once but due to a few things happening at the time, it went bad before I got around to trying it.  I almost bought another one last week but stopped cos I have so many pieces of stone fruit in my fridge ('tis the season!!) that I thought it would be wasted again. Think mangosteen juice is marketed as some miracle drink which is possibly where the ban comes in. Possibly.


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