Why we avoid it:

It stinks. You can’t be blamed for checking under your shoes when you pass this large spike-covered green fruit in Asian markets. It smells like a combination of rotten meat, sour milk, old gym shoes, with a hint of dog feces and raw sewage. It smells so awful that some hotels and public transportation in Southeast Asia ban it. Bear with us on this one.

Why we should eat it:

While durian’s odour is vile to most, it invokes deep appreciation in others. Stench notwithstanding, the fruit actually tastes pretty good. In fact, the rich, buttery-smooth flesh is so loved by aficionados that they refer the durian as “the king of fruits.” And it packs a lot of nutrients, too. In addition to a good amount of soluble fibre, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and folate, durian is a very rich source of potassium, an important electrolyte that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. It also provides a high amount of tryptophan, a precursor to serotonin and melatonin production that is needed for sleep induction. Like other tropical fruits, durian is rich in sugar and calories, so don’t go and devour the whole thing if you’re trying to lose weight.