Scientist takes stink out of smelliest fruit

Its smell has been likened to stale vomit or mouldy cheese, so genetically engineering the world's smelliest fruit to remove its stink would appear to be a winning formula. But that's not the case for durian lovers, who regard the odour as an integral part of the eating experience.

Undeterred, a Thai government scientist has made it his life's work to breed a virtually odourless variety. His goal is to find devotees for the south-east Asian fruit among those presently repelled by its smell. After 20 years of cross-breeding more than 90 varieties and conducting endless DNA tests at a horticultural institute near the Cambodian border, Songpol Somsri has come up with a durian strain that smells as inoffensive as a banana.



Not before time. One travel writer was moved to venture that the durian - in season from April to June - smelled like "pigshit, turpentine and onions", garnished with a gym sock". The yellow-green spiky fruit with an image problem is banned from Singapore's underground trains and many south-east Asian hotels and airlines.

For durian lovers, however, the strong smell is considered a measure of its quality and is much discussed during the communal eating experience.

But Mr Songpol thinks his new variety, named Chantaburi No 1 after his home province, could win favour in Europe and the US. He is cultivating seedlings and believes Thailand - the world's largest exporter - could produce up to 1m odourless durians over the next five years.