What is a durian ?

The durian is a light green, spiny, melon-like fruit from southeast Asia that has delicate, creamy, bittersweet golden flesh and an unforgettable odor. One writer likens it to: "overripe cheese. Rotting fish. Unwashed socks. A city dump on a hot summer's day... carrion in custard."

 
 

 

How does it taste like ?

Well according to a certain Alfred Russell Wallace :

"A rich butter-like custard highly flavoured with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but intermingled with it comes wafts of flavour that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, brown sherry, and other incongruities . Then there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy. It is neither acid, nor sweet, nor juicy, yet one feels the want of none of these qualities, for it is perfect as it is. It produces no nausea, or other bad effect, and the more you eat of it, the less you feel inclined to stop. In fact to eat durians is a new sensation, worth a voyage to the east to experience "


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