Stinking but Delicious: The Durian fruit

Have you ever eaten something that stinks so bad? That no matter the bad smell, it absolutely is enjoyable. Do you think you will be able to eat a really tasty fruit even though it stinks? Or will you be able to ignore the smell just to enjoy the sweetness of the fruit?

If your answer is no, then you ought to try the Durian fruit and see if you'll be able to ignore the bad smell that comes from it just to savor the rich flavor of the fruit.

Meet the Durian Fruit.

The Durian fruit is also referred to as the “king of fruit.” it is a thorny tropical fruit with a shape and size of a football that is unique to the region of Southeast Asia. it is widely grown in Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, and Indonesia. And recently Chinese have also grown hooked into it.

^{Durian fruit}

The Durian fruit is one of the most controversial fruits in the world due to its pungent odor and unique taste. Nevertheless, a lot of individuals like to eat it and they will usually describe the taste as heaven to them and the best fruit in the world.

This fruit is one of the most revered fruits in Southeast Asia, and many restaurants are dedicated to serving it alongside their other dishes. But if you’re new to durian, you would possibly not be sure what to expect once you eat the fruit for the first time because the taste and smell can be pretty strong and the smell is sometimes compared to smelly feet or rotten onions.

Due to its excessive and overpowering smell, the durian fruit was banned in public transport in some Asian countries. In Singapore, even taxis have signs to allow you to know they refuse to transport passengers transporting the smelly fruit.

Botanical characteristics of Durian

Durian fruits emanate from the durian plant, botanically nomenclatured as Durio zibethinus. The plant belongs to the Malvaceae plant family, the same family as the famous hibiscus plant. The plant grows as a 30 to 40 m tall, buttress root tree at maturity on average, but outliers of up 60 m have been recorded.

The fruit is described as a capsule, consisting of several carpels which makes it a multi-compartment fruit. The fruit weighs between 2 to 5 kg at maturity and usually covered in thorns. The colour can vary from green to yellow to brown irrespective of the maturity level of the fruit. The seeds of the fruit are usually round or heart-shaped and the colour varies depending on the variety.

Durian plant is native to South-East Asia but can now be found as far as SOuth India and new Guinea. There are about six other species within the Durio genus with most of them being a source of timber for the locals.

Benefits of Eating The Durian Fruit.

Despite the stench from the durian fruit, it has many health benefits over many other tropical fruits. Naturally rich in iron, vitamin C, B vitamin, fiber, and potassium, the durian fruit improves muscle strength, digestion, skin health, boosts the immune system, and even lowers blood pressure.

Interestingly, one small durian contains 23g of dietary fiber which is almost all of the daily nutritional requirement a person needs. However, it is not advisable to consume a lot at a time because it may cause indigestion, diarrhea, or maybe vomiting.

According to a report by the united states Department of Agriculture, 100 g of durian consists of:

• Energy – 147 kcal
• Protein – 1.47 g
• Carbohydrate – 27.09 g
• Fiber – 3.8 g
• Calcium – 6 mg
• Potassium – 436 mg
• vitamin C – 19.7 mg
• Riboflavin – 0.2 mg
• Folate – 36 micro g

Other benefits of Durian include:

• The dietary fiber in durian helps to enhance overall digestive health.
• It helps to stop cardiovascular diseases.
• It helps to take care of blood and sugar levels.
• Durian fruit possesses antioxidant properties that may help reduce cancer risk.
• It contains nutrients that help strengthens the bone.
• It can help treat anemia or insomnia.
• Durian may help combat skin pigmentation and wrinkles.
• Durian may assist you to sleep better.
• Eating a durian seed can help boost your energy.

How to Eat Durian

Durian can be eaten in numerous ways. It is used in a variety of Southern Asian sweet and savory recipes, particularly in desserts but it is mostly served with sweet dishes. Durian is often blended, baked into cakes, chips, or used as a flavor for ice cream and milkshakes. The thorny flesh of Durian may be mixed with sugar and wrapped in pancakes and deep-fried. It also can be canned, dried, or processed into a paste or powder form for local use as well as exporting.

^{The seeds of durian. By Btcpg - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=39176060}

The durian seeds also can be roasted, boiled, or eaten as nuts. However, it is advisable to not pair the fruit with alcoholic beverages because it inhibits an enzyme within the body that is key to the liver’s ability to breakdown the toxic byproducts of alcohol.

If you are able to withstand the strong smell of Durian fruit, you can eat the fruit raw though some choose to freeze it before eating to savor the taste more.

Conclusion

Durian is the king of fruits and it is also controversial as well. most people like to eat durian fruit, but they have no idea what is there to understand about this fruit. Thankfully, I have highlighted the various benefits one gets after eating the smelly fruit and these benefits sure outweigh the negative components of the fruit. Eating durian should be one of the top 10 foods on your bucket list want to taste before dying to experience how it tastes. Once you visit any Asian country, do not forget to ask your host for a durian fruit, I am sure it will be a memorable experience for you.

Thank you all for reading.