Chocolate and chilli. Pineapple on pizza. Bacon and syrup. Polarising food fusions have caused quite the stir since the dawn of time. Now there's a new shake-up for debate: durian and ice cream.
For those unfamiliar with the fruit, durian is renowned for its incredibly pungent smell, grown in Indonesia, Malaysia and southern Thailand.
The smell is so bad that it's been banned from some public transport across Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong. In Singapore, durian is banned across all public transport, and they even have signs in taxis forbidding passengers from carrying the fruit in the car.
If you can get past the smell that has been likened to "death died" and "cat p*ss", the inside of durian consists of a fatty, creamy substance, with a texture creatively compared to "putting a small hairless, uncooked rodent" in your mouth.
It is said to taste like "diced garlic and caramel poured into whipped cream." Another described it as a "weird onion and nuts mix."
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It's essentially the Marmite of the fruits: some people love it, while others detest it.
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Well now, one Manchester food hall has introduced durian to its menu with a summer twist.
Hello Oriental is the city's newest venue inspired by hipster hangout 1800 Lucky in Miami. It spans over three floors with a supermarket stocking speciality produce, a Vietnamese restaurant, and an Asian-inspired bakery.
The "divisive" dessert is said to be one of the most delicious and addictive flavours.
It will be joined by other Instagrammable delights such as teddy bear-shaped cones, Taiyaki - a Japanese fish-shaped cake, and a vegan charcoal flavour ice cream.
Located just off Oxford Road, Hello Oriental is open 8am-10pm every Monday to Friday, 10am-12am on Saturdays and 10am-10pm on Sundays.
The new durian ice cream will be available every weekend, but it sells out pretty quick.
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