I read about someone’s stomach ‘exploding’ after consuming both durian and copious amounts of booze, but assumed (probably correctly) that the account was exaggerated. Your comments are insightful and most appreciated Fi. I hope to look forward to lots more.

They roll the fruit on the ground so as to cover the thorns with grass and leaves; the fruit is then swallowed whole and passes through the animal’s digestve system, ripening furthur in the process. I think this is some kind of elephant spa digestive tract cleansing treatment. The whole fruit that comes out through the other end is worth its weight and taste in gold!!! Men are said to eagerly hunt for this treasure, unfortunately so do tigers.

If you do get a taste for Durian and eat a belly-full, dont’ make the mistake I did and wash it down with a cold beer. Thais will tell you that mixing it with alcohol makes your stomach ‘hot’. My stomach wasn’t so much hot as highly volatile. It’s potentially lethal and took me over 24 hours to recover. (I only had a small singha!).