When I was in Walmart in Pierre last week, I was walking by the produce aisle and smelled something like turpentine, onions, and sweaty socks. I thought of a gas leak but looked down and saw the fruit “durian”.
Roughly the size of a muskmelon, green and spiky on the outside. It’s native to Southeast Asia and in some places, durians have been banned on airplanes, trains and mass-transit — and for good reason. Their smell isn’t only overwhelmingly potent, but it lingers especially when cut open.
So why are grocery stores selling this? Like most controversial foods, durian is an acquired taste. Despite the horrible smell, they say the flesh is like custard and is actually sweet. Some have even described the taste to like crème brulee.
If you want to give this frightening fruit a chance, one way to warm up your palate is to prepare durian in a recipe instead of eating it on its own. It is found as an ingredient in ice cream and in other deserts with high sugar content.