Words: Shane Sody and Drew Sinton; Photos: Drew Sinton

It’s been described as the world’s most polarising fruit.

“Vomit-flavoured custard” is how The Rough Guide describes the durian - one of Malaysia’s most polarising and, at up to $38 each, most expensive fruits.

On Sunday 7 May, Adelaide's Malaysian community braved showers to attend Taste of Malaysia's Durian Fest in Bonython Park / Tulya Wardli (Park 27).

Queues sprang up for free samples of the spiky green fruit.

With its creamy yellow flesh, the durian might remind you of fried camembert - an acquired taste.

The Durian Festival is an annual event, in not only Adelaide, but also Sydney and Melbourne. It’s promoted by the Malaysian Department of Malaysian Agriculture, in an effort to boost the reputation and popularity of what might be the world’s smelliest fruit.

It’s not just the lingering odour that can turn people off. You need to be careful of the sharp spikes around a durian. There are more than 30 different varieties of durian, including the largest, the ‘Musang King’ – the celebrated jewel in the durian family crown.

Visitors to the Durian Fest in Bonython Park last Sunday were offered free samples for tasting; along with a variety of other popular Malaysian dishes such as Malay satay, curry puffs, prawn fritters, loh mai kai, steamed meat baos, and nasi lemak.