King of Fruits

Once described by Stephen Fry as something like 'smelling like the arsehole of Satan but tasting like the sugar-dusted nipple of an angel', durian evokes a strong response in everyone who comes into contact with it.
Illegal in most public places in Asia, due to it's pungent smell, durian is thorny-monster of a fruit, which can weigh upto 7lbs and is a beast to cut open...but oh my goodness it is SO worth it!
Inside, the creamy, glutinous flesh is sweet with a complex flavour of roasted almonds, custard and vanilla. It is intoxicating, not to mention its incredible vitamin and mineral content. Apart from fats, vitamin C and potassium, it is a great source of the illusive tryptophan; one of the key nutrients depleted in depressives, and in natural sources works as a superb mood enhancer.
The way to find a durian fruit that is ripe and ready is when its husk begins to crack, that is when it is at its most pungent and creamy. A big, thick stem is a sign of freshness or the sound of the moving seeds when the durian is shaken. The seeds themselves can be boiled or fried for an aditional yam-like accompaniment.

So, this is what I think, but I don't want to lead you into a false sense of durian-loving, so here are some quotes from the otherside of the table...and I quote:

British novelist Anthony Burgess: Like eating sweet raspberry blancmange in the lavatory.

US chef & author Anthony Bourdain: Its taste can only be described as...indescribable ...Your breath will smell as if you'd been French-kissing your dead grandmother.

Travel & food writer Richard Stirling: ...It's odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock.


Well, I'm a fan.