# I've eaten durian. Have you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 20, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866 "2006-12-20T02:39:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ruthlez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@Ruthlez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruthlez)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/21 "2006-12-20T15:39:30Z")
I’ve tried it a few times growing up in the Philippines. I like it ok, but still would not run to buy any. I like the durian sweets better, candy things made from the fruit. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/22 "2006-12-20T17:34:42Z")
I often see “jack fruits” in our local Vietnamese markets. They look a lot like durian - do they taste like durian, too? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/23 "2006-12-20T17:45:53Z")
I’ve had durian ice cream, at Sarinah Satay restaurant back when they were in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC. (They’re in Alexandria, VA now.) I saw it on the menu and asked about it. After a brief description from the waiter, which included multiple statements of “you won’t like it”, I **HAD** to try it. Nothing like adding one more odd food to my list. At worst, I wouldn’t like it, but I had been warned! It was, as I recall, nice. I think making ice cream out of it got rid of the smell, but kept some of the taste. I’ve never had durian fruit, so I can’t make a comparison. Also, it’s been years. I should try it again! Any excuse to get back to Satay Sarinah is a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Bewildebeest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bewildebeest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bewildebeest)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/24 "2006-12-20T17:59:47Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Excellent] I haven’t, but I’d like to. Does anyone know if it’s possible to score some in Washington, DC? How about in New Orleans? (I’m going there for a vacation shortly). [/QUOTE] I don’t know about DC, but I’ve seen “fresh” ones at the Asian Market on University Blvd in Langley Park, MD. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/25 "2006-12-20T18:00:02Z")
[QUOTE=Typo Knig] I’ve had durian ice cream, at Sarinah Satay restaurant back when they were in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC. (They’re in Alexandria, VA now.) I saw it on the menu and asked about it. After a brief description from the waiter, which included multiple statements of “you won’t like it”, I **HAD** to try it. Nothing like adding one more odd food to my list. At worst, I wouldn’t like it, but I had been warned! It was, as I recall, nice. I think making ice cream out of it got rid of the smell, but kept some of the taste. I’ve never had durian fruit, so I can’t make a comparison. Also, it’s been years. I should try it again! Any excuse to get back to Satay Sarinah is a good one. [/QUOTE] I had a durian icecream pop last summer. N.G. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/26 "2006-12-20T21:11:09Z")
No, but I came close. On the way to Don Muang airport and my departure from Bangkok many years ago, my Thai girlfriend (actual girlfriend, not girlfriend-for-hire) bought some fresh durian from a fruit stand and gave it to me to eat on the flight. The odor was so rancid it turned heads; I was certain if I boarded with the bag I’d be asked to leave the plane. So I overcame my sentimentality and abandoned the durian in an airport trash can. She swore it was delicious. I never had the opportunity to confirm, but it would have to be pretty damned delicious to smell like that and be considered edible. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2006, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/27 "2006-12-20T23:07:43Z")
…I’ve seen fresh durian for sale in Boston,MA! Only it didn’t look ripe-there was no unpleasant smell. Question: is frozen durian fruit odor-free? ---
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/28 "2006-12-21T09:24:06Z")
I thought it was supposed to smell awful but taste great. Wrong. It tastes awful too. I had a bite in Malaysia and about threw up. I felt queasy for the rest of the day. I’m by no means a picky eater either. I can’t think of any food I’d rather eat less right now. Maybe too many Tiger beers the night before, or I got a bad one. If you offered me a C-note to have a bite of one again, I’d think about it, but probably wouldn’t do it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/29 "2006-12-21T10:01:28Z")
Love the taste, don’t mind the smell, hate the texture. I like the ice cream and candy though. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/30 "2006-12-21T10:03:15Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Love the taste, don’t mind the smell, hate the texture. I like the ice cream and candy though. [/QUOTE] Can you get it over here at all **jjimm**? ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/31 "2006-12-21T10:54:49Z")
I’ve had it in Bali. It was alright, but wasn’t nearly as tasty nor awful smelling as reputed. I doubt I’ll have it again. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/32 "2006-12-21T18:56:56Z")
I bought some from a street vendor in Thailand. I thought it tasted like a rotten onion smells - sort of sweet, but very unpleasant too. I’m a big fan of exotic fruits (it made my day this past Sunday when I to my husband’s friend’s fancy wedding where I knew nobody, but they had a ‘carving station’ devoted to fruit, including cherimoyas, guavas, and these little ground-cherry-like things called cape gooseberries), but not this one. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866/33 "2006-12-21T19:15:58Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Can you get it over here at all **jjimm**? [/QUOTE] I have smelled the fruit in Chinatown in London, but never seen it. The candy is available in many Chinese supermarkets though. Not sure about the ice cream. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ive-eaten-durian-have-you/384866.md?page=1)