FREE Shipping For All Orders ABOVE $20 - ALL Products - WORLDWIDE

Why Does Durian Smell So Bad?

Have you ever wondered why does durian smell so bad? The strong smell even caused Singapore Law Authorities to ban Durian on public transports such as buses, trains and even taxis!

To find out more on the attributes that made up the strong pungent durian smell which is either a love or a hate to individuals, a group of scientists from the German Research Center for Food Chemistry had gathered themselves to figure out the cause.

Image result for durian compounds

They extracted some sample from Thailand durians, and pinpointed 50 discrete compounds in the fruit responsible for the horrible smell.

What's interesting is that none of the compounds individually seem to match with the significant durian smell. These compounds ranged widely, and include labels like fruity, skunky, metallic, rubbery, burnt, roasted onion, garlic, cheese and honey.

A number of them can be found in cooked beef, yeast extract, dried squids and leeks. Somehow, these 50 chemicals combined together has made one of the most notorious smell in the world.

Back to the top