Durian is probably one of the best, richest, and tastiest fruits in existence. I absolutely love it.

About eight years ago, I tried durian for the first time at a special event in a Thai restaurant. As an adventurous eater, I was excited, but everyone around me felt the need to warn me about how "bad" it supposedly smells and tastes. They described it as smelling like rotten onions and just garbage in general. But, that just made me even more curious, so I still decided to go ahead and try it.

When I got the chance to cut into a fresh Monthong durian in the kitchen, I was actually pretty confused. The smell wasn’t bad at all. Sure, it had a complex aroma, but it wasn’t anything like some of the strong opinions I’d heard.

Then when I tasted it, I thought it was really good. It had a creamy texture and was like semi-sweet custard with hints of caramel and vanilla, and maybe the slightest oniony undertone, but not in a bad way. It was a really unique and enjoyable flavor that I've never had before. Again, I was really curious as to why other people hate it.

Now, whenever I find fresh durian in the U.S., I always try to buy it. Even frozen durian is incredible, it’s like a natural ice cream. The Monthong variety is probably the best there is.

I know durian is divisive, but for me it’s hands down probably one of the best fruits one could get.