Ask @lemm.ee Mothra @mander.xyz 4d ago

Have you ever eaten a durian? What does it taste like?

I haven't. I'm not even sure I've seen one. I've definitely read about them, but I'm not sure I understand what they smell like or what they taste like and how is it possible that people can comfortably eat something that they agree it smells horrible. We're not talking stinky like cheese or salami, but actually unpleasant if I understand correctly.

So please, do share your experience! Thanks

17 comments

It takes like a sweet dessert.

It smells like the sticky fluid that collects at the bottom of garbage cans.
Yes, they taste delicious but I understand they're not everyone's cuppa lol
To me it smells like burnt rubber or eggs. I've not yet had the opportunity to try fresh durian, but the canned durian and durian wafers/candy I've tried have all been decent, and don't taste like burnt rubber.

Not my favourite fruit flavour, but not terrible like the majority of people seem to think.
It doesn't smell bad to me at all, and it tastes absolutely delicious. I believe it's because I actually can't smell the badness. To me, it tastes like a sweet rich custard.
It's a strong smell for sure, but it tends to be exaggerated for react videos. Some very strong cheese, or fermented fish like surstromming can smell as much, but are less exotic.
- Okay but what is the smell like? Fish and cheese smell very different to me. I'm usually good tolerating both and I even like some of the cheese smells, except the soft washed rind cheeses which can have a smell like rotten eggs and I'm not a fan of that
  
  I'm really bad at describing taste, other comments seem to have done a better job
  
  I thought it smelled like propane and tasted like a custard with a touch of raw onion.
It depends. The smells and flavors run quite a gamut.

Smells: gasoline, body odor, hot trash can, tire fire, rotting onions, raccoon decomposing under the house. In the best cases, a sweet rancid musk, like a field of wild fruit at the end of the season, with all the fruit rotting on the ground.

Tastes: Egg custard, vanilla pudding, brie cheese with dates, kerosine-soaked bread, unwashed armpits after a day of hard work in the hot sun.
- How do you know what kerosene-soaked bread tastes like?
  
  I noticed you did not question tasting 'unwashed armpits after a heavy day of work.'
  I guess it IS a pretty well known taste.
  I feel happy that I am represented.
  Thank you!
So there are two reactions: One is it has texture like a custard, and sort of but not too strong onion-y flavor.

One is like a moldy sweatsock left in the attic to be pissed on by the racoons that live there.

My sous had the first, I had the second reaction to it.
Not alone, but I did eat a lot of durian chocolate when I visited Malaysia. It's alright once you get used to the slight farty smell upon opening the package.

I brought a box with me back home. My kids hated it.
In my opinion: imagine storing bunch of fruit and vegetables into a large skip and let it sit for months in hot sunlight. The smell is like the result. The amalgamation of strong plant based fermentation is so strong the nose associates it with cheese or garbage. The texture, again in my opinion is the only pleasant part of it; soft and creamy, and the flavour isn't much better than the smell, albeit a bit sweeter.

17 comments