A DURIAN without its smell is like a rose without its thorns.
That's why local durian lovers and stall owners are turning up their noses at a Thai government scientist's creation - an odourless durian which he calls Chantaburi No. 1, after his home province.
Dr Songpol Somsri, one of the world's leading experts on durians, crossed more than 90 varieties over 30 years in an effort to take the stink out of the king of fruit.
He told the International Herald Tribune that his specially bred version smells as inoffensive as a banana.
This new hybrid is currently being grown at a research centre in eastern Thailand.
Officials said that the fruit has yet to be officially unveiled by Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture but will obtain final approval in the coming weeks.
Although Dr Songpol said that the odourless durians will please Thai customers who do not like too strong a smell, durian lovers here are appalled at the idea.
Civil servant Lim Wee Keong, 22, who eats durians once a month, said: 'I will stick only to the good old original because the smell is what makes a durian so uniquely appealing.'
He added: 'A durian with no smell means that its taste will be compromised even if its flesh retains a smooth, creamy texture.'
Studies have found that food does not taste as good if you cannot smell it.
General practitioner Daniel Chia said how food tastes depends on a combination of all five senses. A person can taste something better if he can smell it as well, he said.
Likewise, durian sellers think that a no-smell durian will not do well in Singapore.
Thailand is the world's largest exporter of durians, which are sweeter and available throughout the year.
On the other hand, durians from Malaysia and Indonesia are seasonal and tend to be 'unpredictable' as they sometimes turn out to be rather bitter.
Ms Teh Sook Chan, 30, who has been selling the fruit in Geylang for the past four years, said customers usually ask to smell it before buying.
She noted: 'If a durian does not have a strong smell, customers will think it is of a lower grade and does not taste as good.'
She agreed with them. She said that the fruit 'tastes better when its smell is stronger'.
Chefs said they would not switch to using the zero-smell option to make dishes such as durian pudding and durian puff pastry.
'To durian lovers, its aroma, strong fragrance and flavour are the very essence of the fruit,' said Mr Sam Leong, Tung Lok Group's director of kitchens.
Goodwood Park Hotel's durian chef Alvin Tan feels that durians going odourless will 'reduce that joy or impact' of eating it.
He said: 'You will enjoy it better when all senses are involved or activated.'
But the plain alternative may entice non-fans like Caucasians to sample the fruit.
Briton Brian Holloway, 36, has tried all kinds of Asian food, but has avoided durians despite having spent more than 10 years in South-east Asia.
'I can't stand the smell... it reminds me of rotting cheese. But without the smell, I guess I would be game to try it,' said the sales manager.
Companies that ban the fruit from their premises - such as planes, hotels, nursing homes and public transport - said they may change their policy should durians come without the stink.
An SMRT spokesman said: 'If there are odourless durians, they would be similar to any food types and would therefore be allowed in our trains and buses.'
But, the spokesman cautioned, the fruit should be packed properly so that its thorns do not pose any danger to other passengers.
