The Danger of Durian!

Japanese scientists have recently found that eating durian and drinking alcohol can be a dangerous combination. What is durian, you ask? Durian is a large spiny fruit that is native to Southeast Asia. It is known to many as the "king of fruits" because of its large size. It has a brownish green husk, and the fruit inside is yellow-orange, much like an egg yolk.

But if you didn't know what durian was just by looking at it, you would definitely know it by its odor. Its smell has been described by some as similar to rotting corpses. It can actually be extremely offensive to the senses and induce quite a sense of disgust in many people. So how and why anyone tried this menacing-looking and awful-smelling fruit in the first place is beyond me. However, they say that if you are able to get over the smell or not be affected by it, then it's actually very good. It is supposed to be sweet and custard-like with a hint of almond flavor. You will see (and smell) this fruit at many Asian supermarkets.

Durian Wafer Cookies!

I myself am not able to handle the smell of durian. To me, it doesn't smell like just rotting corpses, it smells like burning rotting corpses that was laying in a pile of garbage (and the garbage is also burning). But, there are some, like my boyfriend, who don't really notice the smell and quite like the flavor. We once bought a package of durian wafer cookies (yes, there is such a thing) at an Asian market. I "allowed" him to eat them, but only outside on the balcony (poor thing). And the only way I would store it in the apartment is in a ziploc baggie within a plastic grocery bag. Even in cookie form, durian is offensive! The addition of flour and sugar still can't mask its odor!

Here is my poor boyfriend eating durian wafer cookies on the outside patio

And if the smell wasn't off-putting enough to many people, now it has been discovered that it can actually be dangerous to consume it along with alcohol. The idea behind this research came from an old wive's tale, but Japanese scientists decided to check it out for themselves. And indeed, they did find that the consumption of durian can actually have adverse affects on the breakdown of alcohol due to durian's high sulphur content.

According to Food Chemistry as quoted by New Scientist, "durian extract inhibited the activity of aldehyde dehydrogenase - an enzyme that clears toxic breakdown products - by up to 70 per cent."

So for those of you who already did not have an excuse to enjoy durian, here is another reason. But if you do find yourself finding pleasure in the fruity, creamy flavor of durian, then be aware that consuming alcohol alongside it may be harmful.

For more info: Check out this New Scientist article.