Durian is a fruit in season found in Mindanao. It has a big reputation for “smelling like hell but tasting like heaven.” Considered an aphrodisiac, durian also is high in cholesterol so make sure you eat it slowly. I have never tried it eating the fruit, as I really cannot stand the smell :), but my parents LOVE the fruit. Friends from Davao make it a point to send a box of durian fruit to us at least four times a year - you can imagine how our ref smells like

The durian (IPA: [?d??ri?n, -?n])[1] is the fruit of trees from the genus Durio belonging to the Malvaceae, a large family which includes hibiscus, okra, cotton, mallows, and linden trees. Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the “King of Fruits”, the fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale-yellow to red, depending on the species.

The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Regarded by some as fragrant, others as overpowering and offensive, the smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust. The odour has led to the fruit’s banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia.

I eat the commercialized versions though, especially the durian candy