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I think we also need to remember that smell is subjective. I personally
think durian smells like moldy socks and tastes like sweet moldy socks, but
for those who love it, the odor is a perfume. The more pungent, the sweeter
people think it is. Some of my family members drool uncontrollably at the
mere mention of the fruit.
Farmers are breeding some varieties that do not emit any odor and it is
being met with much skepticism for the very reason stated above.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/world/asia/08durian.html?scp=1&sq=durian&s
t=nyt
But as someone stated before - you might not want to have durian in your
museum. Like a skunk, the odor has a way of clinging. It is also illegal to
carry it on a plane (as with some cheeses). I may be mistaken but I'm not
sure you can even get any of the fresh variety here yet. The last I heard,
they were working on that, but for now, most people will have to settle for
frozen.
Lynn A. Lim
Project Communication Coordinator
IGLO (International action on GLObal warming)
Association of Science-Technology Centers
1025 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite #500
Washington, DC 20005
202.783.7200 x126
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-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul Orselli
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 1:23 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: smell bad taste good
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
****************************************************************************
*
>>>>
Hi Alissa,
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have detected a protein-based "nose
plug" called CNGA4 that lets us stop smelling something, even though
the odor is still there.
It was written up in the journal Science, but here's a link:
<http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Nose-plug-switch-that-
stops-smelling-0D-0A-939-1/>
>>>> "Daniels, Alissa" <[log in to unmask]> 3/12/2008
>>>> 11:52 AM >>>
>
> Hey all.
>
> Here's an earth-shatteringly not-of-great-importance but still
> interesting question:
>
> We were planning out some activities for our Sense of Smell Day
> next month, and one of my coworkers suggested we have durian fruit
> avaiable. I'm not familiar with it, but apparently it smells awful
> (like pig s**t, according to one well known description) but it
> tastes great. It got me wondering about other foods like that (some
> cheeses come to mind).
>
> If smell contributes something like 75% of the flavor experience
> when you eat something, how can something that smells so awful
> still manage to be tasty? Thoughts?
>
----------------------------------------------------------
Paul Orselli, President and Chief Instigator
Paul Orselli Workshop (POW!)
1684 Victoria Street
Baldwin, NY 11510
<http://www.orselli.net>
(516) 223-1043 voice
(516) 238-2797 mobile
More cool stuff at:
<http://blog.orselli.net>
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