January 4, 2001

1:41 PM

Durianis not the new budget chip from AMD. It's a big prickly fruit I've seen for sale in Chinese supermarkets and now I know what the real attraction is...
posted by xiffix (11 comments total)

Hrm, having lived in singapore for several years as a kid, I can indeed attest to the overpowering odor of a durian...never noticed any aphrodisiacal effects. Perhaps it's a psychosomatic reward for injesting such a smelly object =p


posted by nomisxid at 1:46 PM on January 4, 2001

it's outlawed in many hotels in Asia because of the stench... not sure about the other qualities!
posted by cell divide at 1:53 PM on January 4, 2001

Try Durian Palace or Durian Online for more information. The aphrodisiac effects are dubious, at best.
posted by waxpancake at 2:27 PM on January 4, 2001

I'll stick to green m&m's thankyouvery much. Except when they melt. heh.
posted by tiaka at 2:30 PM on January 4, 2001

They stink. And were banned from the hotel I stayed in when in Bangkok.

Let's face it: if your partner copes with your eating one, you were probably likely to get laid anyway.
posted by holgate at 2:36 PM on January 4, 2001

"Like eating custard whilst standing over a London sewer," my old Burmese teacher used to say.
posted by rodii at 2:57 PM on January 4, 2001

Probably a placebo effect at least in part.
posted by dhartung at 3:15 PM on January 4, 2001

More like eating custard while standing on a pile of rotten fruit, would seem closer to reality.

Actually its pretty good. Don't mess with Thai ones, the best come from Sumatra.

I think the aphrodisiac myth comes from watching Malaysians talking on the subject of durian. There's certainly something orgasmic about the excited discussion.

posted by lagado at 5:18 PM on January 4, 2001

I vividly remember taking a taxi ride into the forest around Singapore with my father many years ago. The taxi driver cut down a durian for him and cracked it open. The smell was like prehistoric gym socks soaked in garlic and rotten eggs. My dad seemed to like the taste of it, but I certainly didn't notice any libidinous effects.
posted by MrBaliHai at 5:44 PM on January 4, 2001

I was at a party once when a guy brought some Durian. As soon as he unwrapped it, the smell was so bad it drove everyone outside. People were in such a hurry to get away from it that some of them left their beer behind. That incident became rather infamous with the people who were there.
posted by Potsy at 10:22 PM on January 4, 2001

prehistoric gym socks soaked in garlic and rotten eggs

Quick! Someone! Get me some oxygen!

(Take that either way...)
posted by baylink at 12:34 PM on January 5, 2001