The durian is an Asian fruit that is known for its incredible stench. Food writer Richard Sterling describes its odor as "turpen
tine and onions, garnished with a gym sock." In 2012, a group of scientists analyzed an extract taken from Thai durians to determine what causes the fruit to smell so bad. The researchers identified fifty different compounds, including some that are found in a variety of other substances and others that had never been identified before. Individually, these chemicals have their own characteristic smells, such as onion, garlic, cheese, honey, yeast, metal, rubber, and skunk. No wonder the durian has such a unique, disgusting stink! whats the main idea?
