Share
You can put a ban on a person, and you can put a ban on things that are considered hazardous, but to ban people from carrying stinky fruit on buses and public places in Southeast Asia? Now, that's a story we must look into.
The signs at many public places around the world clearly say “no durian allowed”. But why is it so? To start with, durian has a very unbearable odour, even worse than rotten onions. As the weather is sticky and hot in southeast Asia, some people plug their noses in response to the smell, as the odour spreads faster in the heat. In Singapore, Malaysia and Japan, the fruit is strictly banned. As a rule, it is not supposed to be carried around by passengers, for the sake of those who hate the stench. But is that fair? There are two opinions here.
The people who love durian are disappointed, as according to them, the rich custardy flavour with almonds is absolutely delicious and shouldn’t be ashamed. If you go in the orchards of Bangkok, you may taste the rarer varieties of durian, and the orchards are filled with over 30 kinds of durian fruit with distinct flavours. If you are really addicted, at some point, it may even taste like sherry. But to others, it’s just rotten fruit with a bitter finishing touch.
Durian has a thorny exterior. It may invite attention, a tad bit of curiosity even. But it is quite shocking to durian fans that it has evoked the reaction of disgust. People who are from another culture, but are not accustomed to eating durian, are really put off. Do the tourists complain about nothing? The fact is that it is about our likes and dislikes, which may be completely opposite. What may be disgusting to us could be a delicacy for another person, as a result of different beliefs.
Durian in some countries is considered the king of fruits. It takes a combination of the right factors such as weather and soil to cultivate the fruit. No wonder, it is very expensive!
If you are curious and have not tried durian yet, we suggest you give it a go, without any fear.
