My mother (Vietnamese) LOVES the durian. As you can imagine, finding fresh durian in St. Louis, in the 80s and 90s even, is most challenging. So whenever my mother would leave the US, she'd return w/ exotic, stinky and vaguely illegal foods (cheese, meat, fruit, even the durian). While I appreicated the stinky cheese even as a kid, I just couldn't/can't stomach the durian stench. (I always ask mom how she gets so much contraband through customs. She always responds that no one searches a middle aged Asian women w/ Louis Vuitton luggage. Helpful hint...) Once mom came home w/ an especially fragrant durian. All of the windows were open, my siblings left the house and only mom, the durian and I remained. Dad came home, and thought we had a gas leak. Rather than checking the rest of the house to see who was home or what might have caused the smell, Dad left and called the gas company to come check the leak. Imagine our shock when the gas company showed up. But imagine everyone else's shock when they found out the smell was from a fruit. Mom offered it to everyone, no one took her up on the offer. Personally, I don't mind the taste, but I don't love it, either. And I really don't love the death-burps. And I really cannot tolerate that smell.
