Durian was listed as one of the world's strangest ice cream flavors in Travel and Leisure magazine's July 2009 issue.

The funky-smelling fruit is an acquired taste and aroma to some, hence the honor of being named as a strange flavor for ice cream. But to many Asians who adore the fruit, durian ice cream is as natural as say, Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey (banana ice cream with fudge chunks and walnuts).

Durian season in the Philippines is July to October, ground zero being Davao. (Anyone who travels to Davao for work or a vacation never fails to perfume air-conditioned offices with the tell-tale, scandalous aroma of the fruit. You can never be discreet with durian.)

The ice cream version is not so easy to find locally–you'd have to dig deep into the supermarket freezer till your fingers go numb as I did in my search for this elusive ice cream. Other local flavors were more common–ube, queso, macapuno and langka (jackfruit, which the article says is "similar in flavor to pineapple"–I've never eaten a sour langka before, have you?).

Nestle and Arce Dairy were cited as local manufacturers who make durian ice cream but the supermarkets I visited were out of stock. My search turned up a large tub of Gourmet Durian flavor from Fruits in Ice Cream (FIC), another local manufacturer. Theirs is made with durian preserves. Ice and cream has a way of mellowing flavors out so don't expect the durian ice cream to raise too much of a stink.

Its potassium, calcium, phosphorous, and Vitamin C content far outweighs the durian's pungency. And with the number of durian-flavored concoctions around–candy, tarts, shake, even coffee, it's not at all strange in these islands.

Photo by DXLINH