Alamat ng Durian

An alamat is a Filipino origin tale. People near Davao tell one about the durian, the fruit with a thorny husk and a very strong smell. The tale explains why the fruit looks and smells as it does. Tellers change the names and the plot, so no single version is standard. No recorded plot is known.

The facts about the fruit are easier to check. The husk is green to yellow-brown and covered with spines. The fruit is about 15 to 25 centimeters wide. The smell is strong even when the husk is closed. Some people find it sweet, and others find it overpowering. Hotels and public transport in Southeast Asia have banned the fruit for this reason.

Davao is the city most linked with the fruit in the Philippines. The source of this alamat is not known.