Why does durian have a strong smell that some people don't like eating it?

Answer 1

Songpol Somsri of Thailand's Horticultural Research Institute is currently working on breeding a durian with no odor: Chantaburi No. 1.
Chantaburi No. 3, develops its odor three days after the fruit is picked, allowing for odorless transport.

Durian is rich in carbohydrates, protein, fat and sulfurous compounds (thus the smell) so it is eaten by many animals. The durian is a very ancient and primitive fruit. The wild ancestors of modern durians may be one of the first plants to rely on animals for dispersal of its seeds. It attracts these animals by having a strong odor. Besides humans monkeys, gibbons, orangutans, birds, dogs, pigs, rhinoceros, bears, squirrels, tapirs, deer, elephants, tigers, and even the domestic cat eat durian.
http://www.durianpalace.com/durianbotany.htm

Twenty two esters, 14 sulphur compounds, 7 alcohols, 3 aldehydes and 1 ketone were detected in the durian pulp of five different cultivars. Diethyl disulphide, ethyl-n-propyl disulphide, diethyl trisulphide and ethanethiol were the predominant sulphur-containing compounds in all the cultivars. The major esters present in durian were either ethyl propanoate, ethyl-2-methyl butanoate, or propyl-2-methylbutanoate and their levels varied within cultivars.
Diethyl disulphide - Raw onion, garlic, burnt rubber
Ethanethiol - Onion, rubber
ethyl propanoate - Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
ethyl-n-propyl disulphide - Leeks

Dimethyl sulphide is part of the aroma of quince and truffle and dimethyl disulphide quince and asparagus so not all sulphide bearing foods are stinky.

Answer 2

The animals which the tree relies on to spread its seeds find the Durian by smell. It has to smell very strong for animals to smell it miles away in a rainforest full of other smells. Maybe that smell just carries better than anything else. Or maybe it's only an unpleasant smell to humans.

Answer 3

Durian is smell good for people born and grown in the area which is durians trees grow. Instead of it smell durian has very delicious taste.
Me myself loves durians so much as my family consume durians almost every day during the season of durian in Sumatra island of Indonesia.

Answer 4

I hate durian! The one time I had it I bought one from an Asian market and a friend and I tried to eat it--we were bold. The stench was overpowering--we had heard that the flavor was OK in spite of this, so we kept going. He thought it was the worst thing he had ever tasted--like dirty baby diapers. I thought it was pretty horrible as well. We had to put the "carcass" outside (these are big fruits) because of the stench. The next morning it was covered with green metallic beetles.

Here's probably the most famous quote on the odor:

""... its odor is best described as pig-s.hit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away." said travel and food writer Richard Sterling."

The reason for the stench is simple--it contains a lot of smelly compounds:

"Chemical analyses found in the stench esters, ketones and many thiols (organosulfur chemicals found also in feces, skunk scent, cheese or stale beer."

Esters are typically respoinsible for "fruity smells" . Ketones include fingernail polish remover and the substance you may smell in urine after vigorous physical exercise. Thiols are the skunky ones desribed above--another example is the compound added to generate the smell of natural gas.

The smell of durians is such that they are prohibited in hotel rooms, subways, and other public places in places like Hong Kong and Singapore.

There's a famous saying. "Durian smells like hell and tastes like heaven". I disagree--it also tastes like hell--and I'm being kind.

Answer 5

I hear that this is really disgusting smell like stinky meat!!!

Answer 6

one man's stink is another man's dinner! haha

Answer 7

fertilizer reaction?