One of the most famous fruits in Thailand is the Durian. It is widely known as the “king of fruit” and you will either love it or hate it. It is a large fruit with a spiky casing which could so easily be used as a lethal weapon. However, it is the smell which some people say is more dangerous. Many hotels and taxis ban this fruit that many people say smells like an open sewer. Personally, I don’t care for it much. I must admit it is the smell the puts me off the most. I would prefer to eat something with a pleasant aroma. However, I love eating fried durian which you can see being prepared in the above picture. The durian is sliced thinly like potato chips (crisps) and then either fried or roasted or even both. The small bag of fried durian you can see in the picture costs 100 baht. I bought some on my recent trip to Rayong. This area of Thailand produces the majority of the durians in the country. If you don’t fancy eating the smelly fruit then try this fried version. It is very addictive, so one packet won’t be enough!

Here are some facts about the durian:

• The Thai people call it “turian” instead of “durian”
• Over 670,000 tonnes was produced in the first half of this year
• Chantaburi, Rayong and Trat produce 56% of the country’s total production. The remainder comes from the south.
• In the first quarter of this year, 16,200 tonnes was exported.
• In 2004 several people died after eating excessive amounts of durian prompting the government to release health warnings
• People are advised not to eat durian and consume alcohol at the same time
• A 2 kilogramme durian contains nearly 1,000 calories
• The best advice is to eat some mangosteen after eating durian.

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