The King of Fruit has inspired many a thorny discussion – not just for its pong, a distinctly divisive stench punchy enough to get it banned on public transport, even in durian-mad Singapore – but the myths surrounding the spiky fruit.
Will pairing its creamy yellow flesh with alcohol kill you? Is washing your hand – or mouth – with water swished in its fibrous husk a way of eliminating its pervasive stench?
Or is durian not just heaty – as in the Traditional Chinese Medicine concept of heatiness – but warming enough to get you all hot and bothered?
These are all common durian myths that you’ve probably heard before, but how many of these are actually true? And to what degree?
SilverStreak speaks to some durian sellers, to pick apart the fiction from pure durian pulp.
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Durian Myth 1: Durians are high in cholesterol
The good news is that there is no truth to the durian myth that the fruit is high in cholesterol and saturated fats.
The bad news? It is calorie-dense and brimming with carbohydrates, meaning that both diabetics and people watching their waistlines would want to avoid eating too much durian.
Durian Myth 2: Durian and alcohol is deadly
You’ve probably heard this one before – never mix alcohol and durian, as it is a combination that can literally kill you. We’ll come right out and say it: This is simply not true.
Both Spencer of 99 Old Trees and Long Soon Wai, co-owner of Durian Desserts by Tiong Bahru Durian (which operates two physical stores and a cold storage processing plant in Singapore) share that they and their fellow durian sellers have washed down durian with more than a couple of beers during the height of the yearly season.
"I drink beer quite regularly. I also mix it with red wine. Nothing leh."
This includes other side effects that’ve also been reported as a result of the combination, such as bloating, nausea and general discomfort.
Like some other durian myths in this list though, there is a grain of truth to some aspects of the old wives’ tale. The sulphur compounds in durian – what gives it its famous pungency – is known to slow the metabolism of alcohol in the body.
Durian Myth 3: Wash off the stench of durian with water mixed in its husk
As shiok as it is to polish off a few seeds of bittersweet Mao Shan Wang durian, the pongy fruit is notorious for leaving a bad taste in your mouth – and smell on your fingertips – that water and soap alone cannot alleviate.
But what if that water was first poured into the now-empty husk of the thorny durian shell? It sounds too good to be true and exactly what durian myths are made of. However, in a surprising, unintuitive twist of fate, this is one tip that actually works, at least according to this 2021 study by researchers in Singapore. Anecdotally, Soon Wai also attests to its effectiveness.
A second component of this myth has to deal with the TCM concept of heatiness. It is said that drinking salt water swished in the durian’s husk is particularly effective at cooling off the heat from the consumption of durian. Regardless of your feelings about TCM, Spencer says that this tip will be effective regardless, since you are “rehydrating yourself with salt and water anyway”.
Durian Myth 4: You can ward off the heatiness of durian with mangosteen
Speaking of TCM, mangosteen has long been touted as the cooling yin to durian’s yang. Both Spencer and Long Wai agree that it is a longstanding belief with a strong base of anecdotal efficacy, though they’re quick to add that marketing and the aligning of the fruits’ seasons have a part to play.
Durian Myth 5: Durian is an aphrodisiac
A lesser-known durian myth is the claim that the thorny fruit might, well, make you horny too. Yes, famously smelly, stodgy durians might somehow just be an aphrodisiac. As dubious as it sounds, the Malaysian government once announced in 2017 that they’d be researching this claim, though results have yet to come to fruition.
While Spencer and Soon Wai have both heard of this durian myth, neither have heard of any customer coming back with positive results in that department.
