The world’s full of exotic fruit and vegetables – most of it is delicious, except durian which has been banned in Singapore because it smells like vomit.

Durian

“like eating pudding in an outhouse”

Durian is fruit like no other. It is hard to imagine that something that smells so terribly could possibly taste any good. But apparently it does and this most unlikely of fruits has been given the title “The King of All Fruits”. But the thing about durian is that it stinks. It reminds me of vomit, but others have described the smell to be that of rotting flesh, sewage or dirty socks. The smell is so bad that you have to pick your moment to try it. Many hotels in South-East Asia forbid it on the premises and it is illegal to carry them on the trains in Singapore because they were making fellow commuters throw up. Malaysian car rental firms have banned them and it is not uncommon to see special signs, kind of like no-smoking ones, of a durian with a line through it banning them from public places. Inside their flesh is like custard – yellow and creamy.