when ripe it can smell like a dead animal. Yes, the fruit is difficult to handle, bearing likeness to a medieval weapon. But get down to the pale yellow, creamy flesh, and you’ll experience overtones of hazelnut, apricot, caramelized banana and egg custard. That’s my attempt at describing durian.
What does fresh durian smell like?
Durian has been described as the most foul-smelling fruit in the world. Its aroma has been compared to raw sewage, rotting flesh and smelly gym socks. Durian’s smell is so pungent that the spiky-skinned, custard-like fruit is even banned from public places in Singapore and Malaysia.
How do you describe the smell of durian?
“The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as rotten onions, turpentine, and raw sewage,” states Wikipedia. “Vomit-flavoured custard,” offers The Rough Guide to Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei.
How do you know when a durian is ripe?
One of the easiest ways to tell if a durian is ripe is to hold it to your ear and shake it. The flesh of a ripened durian is soft, which allows the seeds to bang around inside the shell like a maracca filled with gak. If the seed is rattling around with no resistance, chances are the durian is overripe.
What does ripe durian taste like?
Durian lovers say it has a sweet, custardy taste, with the texture of creamy cheesecake. Flavors often attributed to the durian fruits are caramel and vanilla. Some fruits have a slightly bitter note, together with some sweetness.
How long does durian smell last?
However much we love the succulent fruit, there’s one thing that even durian lovers despise: the after smell. The durian scent can be miasmic and it’s not the easiest to get rid of. The smell can linger on your fingers, breath, refrigerator and even your car for weeks!
Does durian smell like gasoline?
In fact, it’s often “described as resembling dirty gym socks, rotten egg, cut onions, manure, and roadkill,” said The Spruce Eats. It is somewhat understandable, then, how the smell of durian could be mistaken for the distinctly sulphuric stench of a gas leak.
Does durian make your breath smell?
Durian’s scent has been compared to (among other disgusting things) sewage, turpentine, gym socks. Anthony Bourdain once said that eating the fruit will leave your breath smelling “as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother.”
Why does durian smell so strong?
The science behind the malodour lies in a rare amino acid called ethionine. As the tropical ball of spikes ripens over time, its ethionine level increases, and a plant-specific enzyme releases an odorant from ethionine, causing the trademark stink to waft through the air.
Why do people think durian smells?
The answer, apparently, lies in the different ways peoples’ brains interpret olfactory sensors. Apparently, the complex components that make up durian’s unique aroma are similar but not identical to noxious smells like sulfur and turpentine, so brains like mine lump durian into the do-not-eat category.
Do durians ripen in the fridge?
Yes, generally if you buy a fresh durian from a store, it will ripen. I bought one opened it up, took a bite, tasted horrible, thought about chucking it, but covered it back up and put back in the fridge for 7 days..
How long does durian take to ripen?
Generally, durian fruits mature 3-5 months after flowering – depending on the cultivar . For example, the fruit of early maturing cultivars will mature 90-100 days after anthesis while a medium maturing cultivar will mature 100-120 days after anthesis .
How can I ripen durian quickly?
Store your durian in a warm place in an airtight container. Higher levels of heat and carbon dioxide will hasten the durian’s ripening process. Your may not need a full day depending on the type of durian and its existing level of ripeness.
What is the smelliest thing in the world?
Chemists tend to agree that a class of molecules known as ‘mercaptans‘ are the smelliest compounds in existence. You might have encountered foul-smelling mercaptans in a skunk’s spray, rotting meat, bad breath, swamp water, and even some cheeses.
Why does durian make you feel hot?
However, eating the fruit can indeed induce a feeling of “heatiness.” Our metabolism increases during digestion of the fruit, says Natalie, thus there may be occasional instances of a slight increase in body temperature. This is partly because durian is so dense in calories, demanding greater digestive effort.
What does unripe durian taste like?
How does it taste? Well, it tastes like creamy sweet potatoes with a faint aroma of durian. Some people deep-fry slices of unripe durians instead.
Should durian be refrigerated?
Store in an Airtight Container
If you are planning to save your durian for another day, you’re going to need to store it in your fridge. The best way to keep it is to place it in an airtight container so that air and moisture won’t come into contact with the durian.
How healthy is durian?
The flesh of durian is highly nutritious, as it’s a rich source of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and B vitamins. It’s also packed with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds like quercetin, kaempferol, and luteolin ( 2 ).
How do you neutralize the smell of durian?
How to remove the pungent odour of durian from your car
- Bergamot Orange. This fragrant citrus fruit is often placed at the gents’ toilets in many gas stations.
- Strong Tea or Pandan Leaves. Lace a roll or bunch of pandan leaves in your car to mask the pungent odour of durian.
- Charcoal.
- Vinegar.
How long does durian last in the fridge?
5 days
The best way to store leftover durian is to wrap the fruit in cling wrap, then seal them in a zipper bag before storing in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freezing will keep them longer than refrigerating, and also prevents the smell from contaminating other food in the fridge.
Are jackfruit and durian the same?
As we mentioned before, jackfruit contains latex, and durian does not. The unripe durian tastes rich and bittersweet. Jackfruit pulp tastes like a cross between a banana, mango, and pineapple. The jackfruit smell is musky and fruity, while durian fruit is known for its intense odor.