Smelly fruit sparks airline alert

CNN ^ | Thursday, January 16, 2003 Posted: 4:30 PM HKT (0830 GMT) | CNN World News

[Mr. Mulliner]

You can buy them here, probably in most Asian markets, but they seem to have no smell and I think it's because they are frozen before being shipped. I saw some in Seattle last year and told my friend who was with me that if they were fresh durians, we would have smelled them the minute we came into the building.

I really don't know how they taste when they have no smell, but I'm told they are a poor substitute for fresh ones. However, since the taste can also be pretty strong for most people not used to them, they might actually be more palatable for first-timers.

[Bobibutu]

The whole thing stinks. More when the fleshy pods are removed from the outer rind. One eats the yellow pods found inside. Very high in sulfur.

Kind of like lindberger cheese... ah but the taste. MMmmmmmmmm

[INSENSITIVE GUY]

SHOULD'NT LET SMELLY FRUITS ON AIRPLANES!

[Bobibutu]

When I first arrived in SE Asia (1966) I happened to be in Penang for a few days... BIG sign in the hotel lobby "Absolutely No Durians Allowed In Hotel Rooms" ...

We didn't have a clue what a Durian was then - thot it might be the local word for a professional lady. We found out the next day... it was a few years later that I actually got up the nerve to taste one... I was probably drunk at the time.

[aruanan]

But it tastes great!

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

They smell pretty bad, but I have to admit, I had some jelly candies made from durian that were pretty...um...good.

[segis]

I sort of figured it must be about durians from the title. The fruit is really quite delicious - the smell does take some getting used to.

[Mini-14]

A college professor decided to have a "Durian day" in class, and invited all the oriental students to bring their favorite dish.

I tried some crackers flavored with the stuff, and thought my head was going to explode. It was as if gasoline fumes went raging through my head. I ran out of the room while gagging.

Someone once described the stuff as a mixture of turpentines and dog turds.

Nasty stuff.

[Jennifer in Florida]

A whole website dedicated to the Durian: Durian Online