Durian’s popularity has even extended to Detroit, where I used to sip a durian smoothie at one of a chain of several Vietnamese restaurants while spooning my pho.

Something about the concentration of the aroma is more intense when you have the whole fruit in your hands. Once the flesh has been scooped out and prepared for serving, or used in a recipe, the intensity seems to dial down a notch, letting the desirable flavor shine through.

Which is kind of the point, because so many people eat durian only for an obvious reason. It’s delicious.