The durian, often called "the king of fruits" in Southeast Asian countries, is also described in the expression "tastes like heaven, stinks like hell". The smell of the durian has been compared to rotten onions, raw sewage, cat urine, turpentine, and other unpleasant odors. Those who love the taste of durian - and there are hundreds of millions of them - consider the smell to be fragrant and enticing.

The durian smell is both strong and persistent. Simply carrying a ripe durian through a room can leave a lingering odor for days, which has led businesses and public facilities to ban anyone carrying durian from entering, often enforced with a heavy fine.

Raw durians are typically consumed in open-air fruit markets or in private homes after they have been packaged for transport.

The green husk of the durian is thick and spiky, making them difficult to open. Durian vendors typically make use of machetes to split the fruit open and extract the fleshy white pods for consumption. In the wild, apes often spend several hours trying to break open a single durian husk using stones and branches.

But despite the difficulties and strong odors involved, the fruit is beloved by most southeast Asians. The secret of its success lies in the creamy texture and complex sweet and fermented flavor which is often claimed to be addictive. The taste of durian flesh has been compared to cheesecake, almond, and saffron, among other treats.

Durian is also exceptionally nutritious.

More Info: en.m.wikipedia.org