Scientists Sniff Out the Substances Behind the Aroma in the 'King of Fruits'

The latest effort to decipher the unique aroma signature of the durian — revered as the "king of fruits" in southeast Asia but reviled elsewhere as the world's foulest smelling food — has uncovered several new substances that contribute to the fragrance. The research appears in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

29 Nov 2012 --- Martin Steinhaus and colleagues explain that durian, available in Asian food shops in the United States and elsewhere, has a creamy yellowish flesh that can be eaten fresh or used in cakes, ice cream and other foods. Some people relish the durian's smell. Others, however, regard it as nauseating, like rotten onions. Past research identified almost 200 volatile substances in durian. Lacking, however, was information on which of those make a contribution to the characteristic durian smell. The authors set out to identify the big chemical players in the durian's odor signature.