What’s behind the durian fruit’s notorious stench

Most people who have tried durian either love it or hate it. The fruit’s yellowish flesh is sweet and custard-like, but it comes with an overpowering stench of garbage. Scientists studying the unique fruit have now analyzed a set of 20 stinky and fruity chemical ingredients and found that a mere two compounds can re-create the overall smell. Their findings appear in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.