Defending durians (a little vent)

[Mary Anne]

Someone at work asked me what I did over the weekend and I told them, and one of the highlights was getting a durian. So he was really nice and asked me questions about them, and this other co-worker started commenting on how badly they stink.

I said that they smell like a flower. They do to me, and I know from what I read on message boards that others feel the same.

A few weeks ago I shared some durian with co-workers and they all loved it and none of them said it smelled.

So I asked this other co-worker, "Well you had my durian, did it smell to you?"

She goes, "I don't remember."

Now if the smell was so bad, wouldn't someone remember?

It just irks me when people have to be such killjoys over stuff that makes others happy.

Maybe I'm over reacting, but when people rave about their barbecues I never go on and on about how much meat stinks, even though I probably should.

Love,
Mary Anne

[Wrecked Spark]

"I don't remember?!"

yeesh. :confused:

Reminds me of that HILARIOUS skit on Saturday Night Live when a family goes on vacation with "Debbie Downer". It was so funny I laughed until I cried.

Thanks for the vent... I just received another chuckle from that memory.

:)

Cheers,
Wrecked Spark

[Mary Anne]

Ha-ha, that's funny Wrecked Spark. I didn't see that episode, but maybe some people should -- they'll see themselves in there :)
Love,
Mary Anne

[Sweet lips]

Mary Anne,

I know that you really don't care. Just keep being a picture of health :D , they'll wonder.

[Rawmommie]

I wish I could try a durian! I can't find them anywhere? :confused:

[Mary Anne]

Thanks Sweet Lips :D

Rawmommie: Have you tried the Asian markets? I spent half the year trudging into Chinatown, totally out of the way, before I discovered that you can find them in an Asian market that's a 10-minute ride from my home!

Love,
Mary Anne

[flutterfly]

I love durian. Even the smell of it. You are right it smells sort of like a flower. As soon as I can find an Asian store around here I hope to get myself the best treat ever (durian) :)

[Analeah]

I think Durian is incredible but I am sad I can't find any in Switzerland. I went back to the US last week and the very first thing I did was go to the asian market and buy a Durian lol. I had some friends try it for the first time, some of them liked it some of them didn't but they all pretty much said it tasted a lot like onion. I personally really don't like onion and I love Durian and the two taste nothing alike to me but I guess everyone is different. My sister tried some and she was almost offended by it lol. She couldn't stand it to say the least and was disgusted when I was eating it just from the smell all the way in another room. To me it doesn't smell bad at all so I found it pretty strange. I am also curious if fresh Durians don't smell as much as frozen and then thawed durians? I have never had a fresh one before so don't know the difference but I have heard there is a big difference between the two. Have you tried blending up durian with a little water and young coconut? It's incredibly incredible!

[Mary Anne]

Analeah, I always had the ones that were frozen and then thawed out, I never had one straight from the tree.

I always sniff them really hard to try to figure out what people are talking about when they say they smell and they still smell very pleasant to me. When I shared one with everyone at work, no one complained about the smell. So maybe that's why that girl said she didn't remember what it smelled like because it was so insignificant? And now that it's been mentioned, yes, a few people did say it tasted like onions. I don't think that at all. I think: hazelnut, vanilla, custard.

So I was wondering the exact opposite of you -- would a fresh one smell more and taste more garlicky?

My ex-boyfriend thought they smelled like paint thinner! :D

Some of my friends are afraid to try them.

Love,
Mary Anne

[Analeah]

Wow it's amazing how one fruit can taste so incredibly good to one person and someone else will be completely repulsed by it. Vanilla, hazelnut custard, I like that description!

[Mary Anne]

Analeah, yeah, it's weird how people's tastebuds are so different from each other.

I always wondered why my uncle enjoyed pickled pig's feet so much! :eek:

Love,
Mary Anne

[Olive]

Personally, they smell like dead things to me! We have fresh ones around here and they're pretty potent smelling. I still haven't tried one, but I might get over my trepidation and go for it! Maybe the "meat" of the durian won't smell so bad to me once it's away from the shell.

[naninou]

i am wondering if durian is the same fruit that i had in india! if it is i will buy tonns of them YUMMY! taste like candies to me ;)
so tell me is this fruit made with big seeds inside, that you have to eat the fruit around the seeds!? hope it is hahaha

[Analeah]

It sure is. Lol it kind of looks like a fetus inside. If it had big seeds and custard creamy fruit around them and spikes all over the outside of it then it probably was a durian.

[naninou]

thank you analeah! sounds like it! i love ittttttttttttttttt.... nice name you have hahah

[Jay]

I had my first try of durian about a month ago.
We had a 'durian party' and my brother had ordered the durian from Orkos. The outer layer was already taken of, so we got just the fruit you eat. It was in this huge white isothermic box, to keep it cool, because it was fresh. Now to be honest, when the box was openend, and I could smell it for the first time, the smell was absolutely horrifying!! So bad, like onions, cheese, and a gass leak somewhere, blech!
But okay, I was warned about the smell, but my brother and another guy were just with their head in the box saying it smelled delicious, :eek:
Of course they have been raw for a couple of years, and I just started out the month before, so maybe that explains my disliking but anywho, when I tried my first piece, I didn't like it!! I'm sorry, but I'm being honest here, and I thought it tasted yuckie, so I gave my pieces away. The others were gorging on the durian, and all I could think was, man, they are either high on the smell (which they were also a bit), or they are actually liking it, and it must taste and smell different to them then to me...
Soooo, that was my first introduction to the famous smell and taste of the durian... When I'm in Australia and also hopefully Thailand next year, I'll try to eat one that comes straight from the tree, and I hope I WILL like it that time...
:)

[Analeah]

Lol at least you were brave enough to try it after smelling it. Some people don't even get that far hehe. I think taste buds do change though and maybe you will like it one day but also I have heard that with Durian either you love it or you hate it lol. Hey you are in Belgium? Do you know Kristof or Elkie?

[Jay]

Hi Analeah!

Yes I do know Kristof and Elke! In fact, Kristof was one of the guys with his head in the box, hahaha!!
And I will see Elke for the first time on the 27th this month, she's having a pot luck, I've been mailing with her a while now, but haven't met here yet!

[Helen Of Tennessee]

I've never tried a durian.

I have read the stories on the "odor". Apparently the fresh ones do have a smell. I have never smelled a frozen one or a fresh one, so I can't say first hand if they smell or not, but just do a web search on durian and you'll find lots of websites talking about the "odor".

Here is one story that I like:

http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/durian.htm

So either the co-worker had read these stories or maybe had smelled one before. I know when someone mentions durian, the first thing I think of is the smell just because of all the stories I read.

When I'm ready to try one, I'm getting the frozen one!!!! :D

<>< Helen of Tennessee

[Jay]

hmm, so do the frozen ones don't smell the way that I described it?!

(sorry, don't want to say 'stink' or 'bad' because I know you guys don't like to hear that...) :o

[CherimoyaMel]

I juice fasted yesterday, and this morning I rewarded myself with half a durian. I was in heaven. :D It's so nice to have a fruit which is rich, creamy and sweet.

[Jay]

OMG Helen!!

Thank you so much for that link!! I was laughing so hard!! That's exactly what I wanted to say, but couldn't because I don't know all these words in english, if i could tell you what it smelled like in flemish, god, you'd be suprised!! The only difference is that I didn't finish my piece, and was happy to give it to someone else :D

[Jay]

I think that's another thing I didn't like about the durian: it's so creamy!! That's also why I didn't like the cherimoya's I purchased, don't like creamy fruits!! (sorry cherimoyamel and the others)... and that's probably also why I don't like avocado's... but I do love bananas!

[Helen Of Tennessee]

Hi Joke,

So glad you liked the story :D

<>< Helen of Tennessee