It puzzles me how the smell of durian, which I find very aromatic, can be disgusting to some people.
Also dragon fruit is a 'bland mush'? I've must have been eating the wrong fruit. There's also a red dragon fruit which is a little tastier.
Also dragon fruit is a 'bland mush'? I've must have been eating the wrong fruit. There's also a red dragon fruit which is a little tastier.
(I've tried durian in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand to try to like them. I have failed. There is just no divorcing the taste from the stench.)
What "majority" do you speak of?
The "majority" of locals in Singapore, at least, do not think the smell is unpalatable.
Locals just recognize that it is a strong, potent smell, that is difficult to get rid of, that lingers for ages, that is detectable even at trace concentrations. So, practically, everyone understands that durians shouldn't be in public transport or hotels.
Also the puzzling thing is the stark disparity of the perception of the smell between different people. That doesn't happen to, say, seeing. This is akin to having a dress where half the people says it's black while the rest say it's white.
There are also many varieties of passion fruit, some of which are very sweet. One time I had a batch of an heirloom variety of yellow passion fruit from a small farm in the provinces and it really was unlike anything I've ever had since.
Durian smell is more than disgusting to me - but sometimes I do enjoy eating it. Often by holding my breath to avoid inhaling it.