I actually thought the "rind" or shell smelled better that the part you eat. It's not anything that I want to eat every day.

yes INDEED

The smell will be overwhelming to most, think rotten eggs mixed with months old sweaty gym socks but after years of eating it, I can say the taste is like nothing you've ever had: savory, sweet and creamy. It's weird because most people associate taste and smell together but this is something entirely different.

fermented Soy beans, get some at an Asian market!

The best way to eat it...it comes frozen, never ever preheat it in the microwave, your house will stink like dirty socks.

Simply open the package, and add directly to hot rice and put a soft egg on top...eat.. enjoy!
Itadakimasu!

いただきます！

On every food travel show on TV they inevitably go somewhere that has durian and love the faces they make the first time they get a whiff. I gotta see what it's all about.

A friend at work once brought in some durian hard candy (like Werther's butterscotch candies but durian) but I think the whole experienced was tamed way down for the candy because I couldn't really tell it was all that bad. I want the real thing! And I love pudding anyway.

Yes, it tastes better than it smells (since it could hardly taste worse), but it's not THAT great.

but it was definitely worth trying, once or twice! XD

Where I live on Borneo, it's still natural wild jungle Durian that are harvested. And there are huge number of varieties. Short wide thorns, long thin thorns, olive color, golden yellow color, bright green color, splotchy color. Flesh can be white, cream, yellow, orange, amber and even red. Texture from creamy, fibery, starchy even dry leathery. One Durian tree of the same species can have a different taste than the same tree right next to it. We have Durian buffets. Just pay a certain amount and have all the fruit you can eat. A whole fruit will continually be brought to your table and opened for you until you can't stuff anymore or your body heats up too much.

The hybrids you have in the West tend to be nice to look at, sweet with soft consistent flesh and shape with a toned down "scent" and not as heaty. Generally comparing wild Durians with hybrids would be comparing Diner coffee with a rich Cuppchino made by an Italian Barista in Rome. Jungle durians have a much more intense flavor from the usual sweet, to bitter to the sweet when it first hit your tongue followed with a bitter finish (almost like burnt caramel). They also have a much more intense smell. During Durian season when driving on the highway, you can sort of have a good clue which other vehicles on the road passing you are caring Durians. Of course when it get on your hands, it stays unless you use the secret wash method consisting of a fresh Durian husk with seeds removed. Trickle tap water onto the void are where the seeds once was, let it fill up and let the water trickle over the sides onto your hands and wash. For some odd reason, the Durian smell on your fingers will disappear.

All this of course concerns fresh Durian. There are many ways to cook them as well. Battered deep fried Durian flesh in very popular. Unripe Durians are chopped to bits and cooked in coconut milk with the immature seeds (taste like chestnuts). Durian flowers are also edible with a light sweet nutty scent. The flowers only open at night and after that night they drop. People lay mats under the Durian trees before the night and the next morning lift up and carry the flowers with the mats. We also ferment the Durian. Called Tempoyak, it can be used as a paste to add to various dishes including soup. Yes, Durian flavored soup. Tempoyak has a smell that could knock a warthog of it's feet.

I love Durian, but it gives me weird dreams

Both were good, definitely would try the pudding. Many hotels in Asia ban eating the fruit in your room....

hated the smell, and I thought it was only so-so in taste. My wife loves the taste, however.