# What is this huge asian fruit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583 "2003-09-30T00:18:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Extraneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@Extraneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Extraneous)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/1 "2003-09-30T00:18:52Z")
At least I _think_ it’s a fruit… OK, stupid white boy from midwest hits big city… and can’t read Chinese, and is too shy to ask, so… This thing is HUGE - larger (by a bit) than a pineapple, has no “crown” as does a pineapple, but shares on thing with a pineapple - it is covered with “stickies” - but these are much smaller than a pineapple’s, and much harder - they are sold in net bags because it is painful to hold one in your hand. Reddish-brown, 3-4 pounds, 12" long 8-10" on a side (to the extent they have sides - think partially deflated-baskteball for size and shape). They may be some kind of seed pod. So - what are they, and how hungry/drunk did the first person have to be to look at one of these things and say “I can eat that”? ---
**Author:** ![Earthling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/90db22/32.png) [@Earthling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earthling)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/2 "2003-09-30T00:25:15Z")
[Durian](http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~durian/)? The stuff smells absolutely foul. Sewer pipe doesn’t even begin to desribe it. If you can get past the smell (I tried but can’t), durian lovers think it’s the most delicious food in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/3 "2003-09-30T00:26:44Z")
It’s a Durian. It’s really stinky, isn’t it? Never had the courage to taste it myself, but apparently it’s like a sweet, rich custard. ---
**Author:** ![Headcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@Headcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headcoat)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/4 "2003-09-30T00:32:55Z")
Can someone describe the smell? ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/5 "2003-09-30T00:44:31Z")
Imagine the worst part of a fart, rotten meat, sweaty socks and vomit. Oh, and if you think it’s bad fresh, just wait until you next visit to the loo. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/6 "2003-09-30T00:46:59Z")
When we got my sister to taste a durian popsicle, her comment was “It tastes like a monkey smells.” ---
**Author:** ![Extraneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@Extraneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Extraneous)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/7 "2003-09-30T01:09:08Z")
No, not a durian - it is oblong, red-brown (not green), and has no discernable odor (I had one within 6" of my face - no trace of odor). The spikes are not simple spines - and they do not appear to be separate seeds - they look like the spikes on a pineapple, but the base is much smaller, and the points are harder (to the point of being painful to hold). Several stores carry these (but none of the ones with english signage), so it is not a cult food. I saw one with a small split in the skin - it appears that the outer skin is quite thin, and there is a whiteish meat just under the surface. As to the shape - ever seen a coconut in its outer shell? Kind of like that shape. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/8 "2003-09-30T01:20:58Z")
Sounds like [dragon fruit](http://starbulletin.com/2002/09/11/features/ingredient.html) to me. ---
**Author:** ![dangergene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dangergene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangergene)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/9 "2003-09-30T01:27:23Z")
Actually, my dear wife likes Durian very, very much. Unfortunately so much so that I have had to (somewhat out of character) ask her not to eat it in the house! -the smell lingers and lingers! The smell is somewhat like baby vomit, diorreah, and rotting fruit. It’s HUGELY popular here in south-east asia. So much so that during Durian season I’ll come into the office and spend the day feeling ill, because some stupid-head has been eating Durians in the pantry. Now, those who enjoy the fruit REALLY enjoy it, and those who don’t, HATE it. Which prompts me to think there’s some sort of mildly narcotic effect to it, or somesuch (others can and will correct me). The flavour is somewhat like onion-flvoured custard. It’s not really nice enough to warrant dealing with the smell (so says I, others disagree, often very aggressivley). A mildly amusing (more disturbing fact)- apparently it’s dangerous to be out under the Durian trees up in Malaysia during fruit season, because the Durians are heavier than coconuts and harder and well… the effect of one landing on your head from height of the tree can be quite fatal (not just a little bit!). Oh, and there’s heavy fines for carrying them on the air-conditioned buses and trains! ---
**Author:** ![Extraneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@Extraneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Extraneous)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/10 "2003-09-30T02:02:02Z")
Not Dragonfruit - it is a dark red-brown, not green, not pink, and it does not smell like rotting organic material. Sigh, I may have to break down and ask… ---
**Author:** ![karomon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@karomon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karomon)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/11 "2003-09-30T02:28:10Z")
I’ve seen these things for sale in Chinatown, but I always assumed they were durians. Hm. Should I go down there tommorow and finish all this? ---
**Author:** ![hawkeyejo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e19b73/32.png) [@hawkeyejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawkeyejo)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/12 "2003-09-30T02:32:03Z")
[Jackfruit?](http://www.fairchildgarden.org/research/jackfruit.html) Ahhh…I wouldn’t mind one right now ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/13 "2003-09-30T02:42:14Z")
You might try taking a look at [this site](http://www.exoticfruit.com/) as they’ve got a lot of strange items from Asia. ---
**Author:** ![Erroneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71c47a/32.png) [@Erroneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erroneous)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/14 "2003-09-30T02:48:39Z")
I think it’s [this](http://asianprince213.tripod.com/). (This post brought to from the year 2000, via a time machine) ---
**Author:** ![dangergene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dangergene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangergene)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/15 "2003-09-30T03:04:57Z")
just ask, there’s no shame in asking (‘there are no stupid questions…’). Let us know what they tell you. I’ll try asking aorund the office too, you’d be amazed at some of the fruit we get here- the Rambutan has nice flesh inside, but is covered with a red HAIRY shell! Yes, HAIRY! ---
**Author:** ![DataZak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/16 "2003-09-30T06:39:36Z")
We in S.E. Asia can never figure out why westerners find the smell of durian disgusting. To us it is sweet smelling. Biological reasons? Cultural? I don’t know. Oh well. We love the darn thing. The Rambutan is named that way because _Rambut_ is Malay for _hair_. ---
**Author:** ![dakravel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@dakravel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dakravel)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/17 "2003-09-30T07:52:08Z")
Maybe it’s lichee fed with ultra-super-huge-growing-genes? Or…, I have no clue. You should take a picture and show it to us, then I’m sure someone will be able to give you a response. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/18 "2003-09-30T08:07:44Z")
Sounds to me like a [red durian](http://www.sabahtourism.com/guide/faq_visitor_essential.asp). This would explain its lack of odor: > [@](#): > > The ‘king of fruits’, the durian, flourishes in Sabah with 15 wild varieties. One unique variety has red flesh, and lacks the distinctive fragrance of the durian. This red durian is - sacrilege to durian elsewhere - fried with onions and chili and served as a side dish or sambal. I love durian, both stinky and non-stinky. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/19 "2003-09-30T08:17:37Z")
For the love of Og, are there no gay sumo references to be made? ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2003, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583/20 "2003-09-30T08:21:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DataZak \* > \*\*We in S.E. Asia can never figure out why westerners find the smell of durian disgusting. To us it is sweet smelling. Biological reasons? Cultural? I don’t know. Oh well. We love the darn thing. > \*\* …Just out of curiosity, are there any food smells that you’ve noticed westerners really liking, but that most S.E. Asians would find revolting? Y’know, In case I’m ever down in Kuala Lampur, I wouldn’t want to open up a bag of Cheetos in a crowded theater and cause a nausiated stampede for the exits, or something. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-huge-asian-fruit/204583.md?page=2)