The Fruit That Smells Like Death and Tastes Like Vanilla

One of the stinkiest fruits you’ll ever see grown is the durian.

It actually smells so bad that it’s illegal to bring on airplanes in certain countries. Singapore’s MRT subway system bans it. Hotels across Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia post “no durian” signs. In 2018, a Sriwijaya Air flight to Jakarta was delayed an hour because passengers refused to sit with a load of durian in the cargo hold. They threatened to fight the crew. The airline had to remove it.¹

In many parts of Southeast Asia, it’s considered the king of fruits. Because even though it smells absolutely horrible, it tastes kinda like vanilla pudding. Or almond gelato. Or rich cream cheese with hints of caramel. Descriptions vary, but everyone agrees the flesh is buttery, custard like, and completely different from what the smell promises.²

The weird thing is that the smell actually attracts animals.