September 29, 2009
Death by Durian Fruit?
Anyone who has ever smelled a durian fruit can tell you that it smells mighty strong. Although Wikipedia claims that this southeast Asian fruit’s aroma can evoke “deep appreciation,” an online search turns up a host of less favorable descriptions for durian’s smell: “almost overwhelmingly foul,” “rotting fish,” “a dragon’s breath,” “unwashed socks,” and “carrion in custard,” to offer just a small sampling. (Or, as a recent comment on a 1999 Smithsonian story about durians puts it, “Durian is like red onion that has been left in the cellar for years and then marinated in acetone.” Wow, that’s specific!)
Durian fruits, courtesy Flickr user wenzday01
Apparently the fruit’s sweet, creamy center is a treasure worth pursuing if you can bear the stink and get past the spiky husk. I don’t know; I’ve never had a chance to try it (and I’m guessing that, like breadfruit, fresh durian may be hard to come by in DC). But now I know not to try it while drinking!
According to New Scientist, scientists at Japan’s University of Tsukuba recently discovered that durian makes it much more difficult for the human body to break down alcohol. In a test tube, they combined fresh durian extract with aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), the enzyme that functions as the liver’s main weapon against the toxic byproducts of alcohol metabolism. The durian—probably because of its high sulfur content—nearly knocked out the ALDH enzyme, inhibiting it by up to 70 percent. (Or maybe the enzyme just couldn’t stand the smell, either.)
This could explain the occasional news story about deaths related to durian consumption, although it doesn’t quite support the urban legend that combining durian with liquor will make your stomach explode.
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We wrote about durian over at We Love DC not long ago, Amanda, and Carl identified a few places where it could be had frozen and in smaller quantities than an entire fruit.
However if you really want fresh I’ve found it in at least one local market: the Grand Mart at 6326 Arlington Blvd in Falls Church.
[...] The Smithsonian blog has an entry today about durian and its potential interaction with alcohol. They report that Japanese researchers believe they’ve found evidence that durian inhibits the liver’s ability to metabolize the toxins resulting from the consumption of alcohol. [...]
[...] Death by Durian Fruit? | Food & Think [...]
[...] several stories in the news lately about the dangers of drinking, and we’re not talking about alcohol and durian fruit this time. Courtesy Flickr user [...]
I just had the Durian two days ago and all my friends hated the smell and taste but i fell in love.
I hated the smell when I was a Kid, My parents threw away Bag of 10 fruits which we got from a relative.. But now We love this so much.. Its an Amazing taste.. Its so popular among people here in Sri Lanka…
I can never understand why people say it smells likes dirty socks or rotten fish and so on. To me, it smells deliciously aromatic and tastes even better then taking beer or wine!
[...] influence is the choice of fruits in Macau. Everywhere I looked I saw (and smelled!) the infamous durian fruit. Shaped like a hedgehog, the durian fruit has a sort of rancid, putrid smell. To an outsider, it [...]
I live in Colorado, right in the middle of the U.S. and I had seen the durian fruit on several T.V. programs. Being a little hard to find I had to try it when I got the chance, and despite the wretched smell it was quite tasty. I have become a fan of the fruit and if one can get past the smell I would highly recommend trying it. I was not disappointed.
I think it is good tase good smeels good each there own
Recently in Davao and tried durian fruit. It was lightly aromatic in a favorable almond and vanilla slightly flowery perfume manner.
We were surprised of the mild favorable odor, because much was made of the offensive smelling, but great tasting fruit and even the hotel had a posting forbidding durian on the premises. I guess the various varieties and stages of ripeness give different odors and individuals vary as to odor and taste preferences.
I liked the durian fruit. Besides the effects of sulfur on the alcohol dehydrogenase pathway, durian is rumored to increase blood pressure in some individuals and is also a treatment for people with low platelets, but I have no scientific data on these local claims.
While the smell experience seems variable, most people seem to like the taste of durian.
If you can’t find durian in the District, head up I-95 and just outside the Baltimore Beltway on US Route 40 west you’ll find H-Mart (formerly Han Ah Reum), a terrific Asian grocery store with one of the most extensive produce sections I’ve ever seen. My last trip there, they had a large number of durian…thankfully, still sealed in their spiky husks. While I like the taste of durian, yeah, the smell takes a bit to get past.
My daughter intruueced me to Jack fruit which i love it , then i stated to look for in Flushing,NY markets , I could not find it , but I fund Durian fruit . I tried just to be curious , and is true about the smell and the inside view , I disagree with all the nasty comments about this wonderful fruit, to me is so wonderful that I buy it down the block .I love it , it taste fenomenal like vanela ice cream . I am so very happy that I want to cultivate it in my property to me is a gift from God.
CHEESE has the most smelliest, rotten, spoilt taste than anything else in the world! It smells like FART and is unberable!
Durian is one of the most delicious,tastiest and amazing fruit one can eat. The more you eat, the more you keep craving for!
my relative died from eating durian while drinking
Thai whiskey! just to be on safe side people! don’t drink alcohol while eating durian