Many Thai hotels prohibit bringing cigarettes into rooms due to their strong odor, and some taxi drivers in the country, in addition to banning weapons and smoking, also prohibit carrying cigarettes in their vehicles.
Darwin would have tried it. It’s said that, during his voyage aboard the Beagle, Charles Darwin threw every exotic animal he encountered into the cooking pot. Óscar López-Fonseca invites us to explore the world’s kitchens with culinary experiences that the father of the theory of evolution would surely have dared to try on that journey.
Thai cuisine is varied and flavorful , full of tastes and ingredients rarely found in our kitchens. If you’re a fruit lover, this Southeast Asian country becomes a true culinary paradise. There are so many fruits, so different from those found in Spanish shops, that you never know where to begin. There’s rambutan, mangosteen, bunches of small longan (or dragon eye), the enormous jackfruit , and a long list of others for sale in the markets of towns and cities or at the stalls lining the roadsides. However, if there’s one fruit whose tasting can become an unforgettable gastronomic experience, it’s undoubtedly the durian, also highly prized in other countries in the region like Singapore and Malaysia, where it’s considered “the king of fruits.” Difference Between Jackfruit And Durian
The taste, texture, and, above all, the smell of this fruit leave no one indifferent. There are true enthusiasts and staunch detractors. It’s common to find signs in Thai hotels reminding guests that bringing durian into the rooms is prohibited, and, of course, it’s not included on restaurant menus. Some car rental companies and taxi drivers, along with signs prohibiting weapons, sex in their seats, or simply smoking, display the fruit’s distinctive silhouette inside a red circle crossed by a red band. The reason is none other than what some insist on calling its “distinctive smell,” and others simply its “stench” or “foul odor.”
Large in size—it can weigh up to three kilos—and with an almost fierce appearance due to its hard, spiky shell that requires gloves when handling it, the fruit is opened with a machete to reveal its pulp. This pulp is divided into large segments, ranging in color from pale yellow to orange depending on the variety, and displaying a creaminess similar to that of a very ripe avocado. Experts say the best time to enjoy it is between April and August, months when it’s common to find street stalls in Thailand selling the segments on trays, ready to eat. To understand the origin of its strong odor, the American Chemical Society conducted a study in 2012 that identified up to 44 highly odorous volatile compounds. Among them were those found in, for example, caramel, honey, sulfur, rotten cabbage, a bad egg, or roasted onions.
However, to describe the smell, it’s best to turn to the words of people who have experienced this peculiar olfactory sensation. Food writer Richard Sterling, author of, among other works, the book *Gourmets All-Terrain* , described it as a mixture of “turpentine and onions, seasoned with a gym sock. You can smell it from meters away,” he added. If any doubts remain, American chef and television personality Anthony Bourdain defined the aroma of this fruit as “indescribable, something you’ll either love or hate… Your breath will smell like you’ve been French-kissing your dead grandmother.” In my case, I’ll be more restrained: it smells like a strong, spoiled cheese.
Once you get past the initial olfactory shock—I admit your nose can quickly adjust to it—it’s time to taste it. In many Asian countries, it’s eaten fresh, sometimes with sweet rice and grated coconut, but it’s also used in both sweet and savory dishes (like soups or fish sauces). It can also be dried, and sometimes preserved in syrup. There’s even ice cream made with its flavor. But what exactly is it? Depending on the variety, it’s more or less sweet. However, it’s similar to a cheese-like mixture with sweet and sometimes bitter undertones, unlike anything else.
In his 19th-century book, *The Malay Archipelago* , the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace offered an enthusiastic description of the taste experience of eating durian: “Its consistency and flavor are indescribable. A creaminess with a strong almond flavor gives the best general idea, but there are occasional whiffs reminiscent of cream cheese, onion sauce, sherry wine, and other incongruous dishes […]. It is neither sour nor sweet nor juicy; yet it needs none of these qualities, for in itself it is perfect. It produces no nausea or any other adverse effect, and the more one eats, the less one is inclined to stop. Indeed, eating durian is a novel sensation well worth experiencing on a trip to the Orient.” With a description like this, who could resist trying it, even with a clothespin on their nose?
