The Stinky Durian Fruit The durian is an Asian fruit that is known for its incredible stench. Food writer Richard Sterling describes its odor as "turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock." Due to its overpowering smell, durian has been banned on many types of public transport across Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong. In Singapore, the fruit is banned across all types of public transportation and even taxis have signs to let you know they refuse to carry passengers transporting the smelly fruit. In 2012, a group of scientists analyzed an extract taken from Thai durians to determine what causes the fruit to smell so bad. The researchers identified fifty different compounds, including some that are found in a variety of other substances and others that had never been identified before. Individually, these chemicals have their own characteristic smells, such as onion, garlic, cheese, honey, yeast, metal, rubber, and skunk. No wonder the durian has such a unique, disgusting stink! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theaathifhameedshow/message