The Truth About The World's Stinkiest Fruits

While green apple or strawberry might be a scent you would use for an air freshener that hangs from the rearview mirror of your car, not all fruits are as delightfully scented. The most notorious of smelly fruits is the durian, which is known as the king of the fruits (via Year of the Durian). Although Durian comes in a number of different species with many different flavor and odor profiles, generally people liken the smell to some less than appetizing comparisons. It's been compared to the scent of "turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock" (via Smithsonian) and the late, great chef Anthony Bourdain once likened its smell to kissing your dead grandmother (via Vox). 

Because of the aroma it gives off, durian is often banned in public places such as hotels and subways in Southeast Asia, where it is native (via Travel and Leisure). If you can get past the odor, however, you might be in for a treat. Aficionados of the fruit say that durian smells like hell and tastes like heaven (via New Times).

Durian might be widely known as the stinkiest fruit in the world but it has some competition in the cempedak, which is also native to Southeast Asia (via Business Insider). Some super-smellers even say that the smell of durian pales in comparison (via Specialty Produce). 

This unique fruit, which is full of white, yellow, or orange seed-filled pods, tastes something like Juicy Fruit gum. The cempedak is in the same family as the jackfruit; however, it is significantly more noxious smelling. It is said that it can be smelled from a long distance and smells like syrup combined with fermented urine (via Migrationology). Typically, fruits aren't considered to be too rich to eat a large quantity, but the cempedak is an exception. Many people are only able to eat a few pieces before they have to call it quits (via Kumuaina Farm).