Walk through one of Southeast Asia’s bustling food markets in June, July or August and you'll swear the city's sewage system has sprung a leak. However, those familiar with the region will know to attribute the smell to the piles of innocuous looking spiky fruit stacked high everywhere; its durian season.

This “king of fruits”, as it’s commonly known, is native to Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, and it’s been consumed in Southeast Asia since prehistoric times. Its name comes from the Malay word duri (which means thorn) put together with a Malay noun-building suffix -an and literally means thorny fruit.



It’s grown all over Southeast Asia and Australia, and is a major export in countries such as the Philippines and Thailand. The fruit is part of diverse plant family that includes hibiscus, okra and cotton.

The Aroma
With a smell that has been likened to an array of nose wrinkling items such as fermented onions, unwashed gym socks, rotting fish, the civet cat, skunk spray, and even used surgical swabs, it’s no wonder that the durian is banned from many hotels, airlines and, in Singapore, the subway train system. Perhaps the most common expression used to describe the tropical fruit is “Smells like hell, tastes like heaven”.



Durian lovers — and there are many, particularly in Asia — are convinced that, like good blue cheeses, the worse the smell, the better the taste. In 1856, British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace described that taste as, “A rich custard highly flavoured with almonds…but there are occasional wafts of flavor that call to mind cream-cheese, onion sauce, sherry wine and other incongruous dishes.” He went on to say that the more one ate of the fruit the more one wanted and that it was worth a trip to the East to experience.

The fruit contains 14 sulphur compounds, which is the reason for the Durian’s rich aroma. It is thought by some that that the durian’s strong odour lures wild animals, who can smell the fruit from half a mile away. Its thorny armored covering discourages smaller animals from nibbling on it, while the larger animals, such as orangutan, elephants and tigers, can happily tuck in, resulting in a natural transporting of seeds away from the parent tree.

There are over 30 varieties (plus clones) of the fruit, at least nine of them edible, and is eaten at various stages of ripeness, depending on the local preference. This goes some way to explaining why, if you asked a group of durian fans what it tasted like, you would receive a variety of answers: creamy custard, banana pudding, almonds, butterscotch, nutty and sweet and (by those less enamoured) sour apples, cream cheese and onion.


Travel and food writer Richard Sterling wrote, “Its odour is best described as pig shit, turpentine and onions garnished with a gym sock”, while Anthony Burgess, a British novelist wrote, “Eating durian is like eating sweet raspberry blancmange in the lavatory”.

Folklore and Fact
In addition to being eaten raw the durian is also a staple ingredient for a wide range of local dishes throughout Asia - such as ice cream, cakes, and curries.

It also has a number of medicinal qualities attributed to it. For example, in areas of Malaysia, a poultice of the leaves and fruit is applied to swellings and skin diseases, and the leaves are used in medicinal baths for people with jaundice.

But take heed. According to Chinese medicine, the fruit contains warming properties, meaning pregnant women, and people with high blood pressure are traditionally advised not to consume it.

Regional customs also dictate that you shouldn’t drink coffee or alcohol after eating durian, as this can cause symptoms such as bad breath, indigestion or even a feeling of morbidity.

Another traditional belief is that a durian has eyes and can see where it is falling, because the fruit allegedly rarely falls during daylight hours when people may be hurt. The Indonesian phrase, ketiban durian runtuh, directly translates as 'getting a fallen durian', and means receiving unexpected luck or good fortune.



And lastly, there is no better way to explain the belief in the fruit’s aphrodisiac qualities than the phrase used in a number of Asian countries, that when the durians fall sarongs rise.

So next time you’re walking around a bustling market somewhere in Southeast Asia, and that strong pungent aroma clings to the steamy air, know that it’s not a leaky pipe in the sewer system or a feral civet scrounging in a nearby bin - and beware of those sarongs!

by Debbie Lindsay
March 2008

Recipes
Durian Cheesecake with Chocolate Fudge



Crust
250g Chocolate biscuits (eg Oreo biscuits), finely crushed
150g Unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Slowly drizzle melted butter into the crumbs and mix until combined (may not need all the butter). Press the mixture into a foil-covered 7x7 cake tin and chill until firm – approx 30 minutes.

Durian Filling
250g Cream cheese
70g Castor Sugar
250g Durian flesh
1 tbs Gelatin powder
50ml Warm water
125g Plain yoghurt
200g Non-dairy whipping cream

Double boil (or microwave) the gelatin and water until dissolved and set aside. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy and light, add the durian and continue to beat until combined. Pour in the gelatin mix and yoghurt until combined. Pour in the whipping cream and slowly stir until mixture is creamy and well mixed. Pour the mixture into the chilled biscuit base and chill for a further four hours (or overnight) then add the chocolate fudge.

Chocolate Fudge
150g Semi bitter dark chocolate
100ml Whipping cream
30g Unsalted butter
Put all ingredients into a bowl over boiling water (or use double boiler). Whisk the ingredients for five minutes or until fudge is smooth and glossy. Let fudge cool to room temperature and pour onto cheesecake. Chill for one hour before serving.

Can substitute the durian with strawberries, mango or blueberries.

Recipe courtesy of Ellena Guan – http://ellenaguan2.blogspot.com

Durian Pancakes
90g Grated coconut (fresh is best)
1 egg
140g Rice flour
1.5 tbs Arrowroot flour
2 Ripe bananas, mashed
50g Durian flesh
170g Palm sugar
250ml Coconut cream

Mix coconut and flour. Place mashed banana, durian, palm sugar, egg and coconut cream in a blender and mix until a smooth puree. Mix puree and coconut flour together. Cover and chill for at least one hour. Heat pan to medium-high heat and brush with oil. Spoon in mixture and fry until golden brown. Serving suggestions – palm sugar caramel and passion fruit ice cream.

Source: http//en.wikibooks.org