The aroma of durian – one of the most polarizing foods in the world – is hard to pin down, but here are some attempts people have made: Limburger cheese, gym socks & turpentine, New York City’s hot summer garbage, and pig droppings. Advertisement
Anthony Bourdain once said that after eating durian, “Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother.” Countries where it s commonly found have banned it from public spaces, as even just a single fruit can turn the air within entire hotels and airports rancid.
But against all odds, a passionate group keep on cultivating, serving and consuming it. Are they seeing (and smelling) something the rest of us aren’t? Here’s everything you need to know about durian, the world’s truly forbidden fruit.