Durian

*Durio zibethinus*

How to know it

A large tree with a heavily spined green fruit, oval and roughly the size of a rugby ball. The smell announces it long before the fruit is visible.

What it does

Eaten fresh across the region and treated as a delicacy. It is banned on public transport in Singapore because of the smell, which is a fact children love and remember.

Safety

The spines are genuinely sharp and the fruit is heavy. An adult opens it. Do not let children carry a whole one.

Two things to do with children

Run a class tasting and record who liked it as a tally. The split is always dramatic and it introduces the idea that a preference is information rather than a fact about the fruit.

Ventilate the room. This is not a joke, and it is worth doing the tasting outdoors.