Elephant Aphrodisiac

Durian fruit has long been looked upon as an aphrodisiac. As a result it is, in spite of its rather pungent and unpleasant aroma a popular fruit in season. Out of season it can be eaten preserved in various ways. Durian ice cream is especially delicious.

It may well be that the smell of the Durian is one of the more important parts of the aphrodisiac as this has been shown to be the case with some other foods and scent and sex definitely go together in the animal world. Such is the scent of Durian that is actually banned on public transport and certain buildings in some parts of Asia.

It is the aroma which puts most people off the idea of actually tasting it. Even the description of the taste "a mixture of onion and white chocolate" does not sound too appealing. Make the leap of faith however and most people will find that they actually like Durian. Eating it may in a way partially explain its aphrodisiac and so sexual connection. There is too a somewhat 'sexual' appearance to some Durian fruit, rather like the Coco de mer.

The texture of Durian is quite unlike any other fruit. To some the Durian is the most delicious fruit on the planet.

Durian is a fruit to persist with. Like apples, oranges or for that matter, bananas, there are many varieties of Durian. They all taste and smell slightly differently. Some are very expensive with entire crops sold up before they are actually harvested. It is those with the greatest aphrodisiac effect which command the highest price.

A fairly recent belief is that Durian fruit which have passed through the digestive tract of an elephant have, by result of their journey, greater and more potent aphrodisiac properties. Presumably it is believed that somehow the strength and virility of the animal is imparted to the fruit.

The digestive process of the elephant is quick moving and not very efficient. Within a zoo setting a whole uncrunched apple will pass through an elephant in just a few hours. I have seen Zoo keepers pick these from the dung, rinse them and eat them. Their verdict? "Warm".
Elephant dung is inoffensive stuff and may actually have other properties.

It is more difficult to believe that the soft fleshier fruit of the Durian would pass through an elephant unscathed. Even more difficult to believe that an elephant would put a whole Durian husk in its mouth let alone swallow it. I reckon that every elephant I have ever worked with would roll and crunch the Durian under foot first and then pick out the fruit and eat it.

The other aphrodisiac 'food' which passes through the the digestive tract of an animal is the coffee bean which is eaten by the Civet Cat Vivera zibetha. This is used to make the most expensive coffee in the world. As to its aphrodisiac effects, who knows? I do know that I spent a very pleasant evening with a young lady in Bali after drinking two cups of the stuff...but that may well just have been her.

There is though a connection between the two foods. It is the Civet Cat, whose scientific name Vivera zibetha and the Durian, Durio zibethinus. The 'zibethinus' here is referring to the Civet Cat which was reputed to have a very special fondness for the flesh of the Durian.

For some people if you say that a food has aphrodisiac properties then they are more than willing to pay the price and ingest it, regardless of its origins or the risks involved. In comparison to Fugu then 'Elephant Durian' is probably one of the safer ones.

Elephant Durian are collected by people living in the jungles in Malaysia and Indonesia. Elephants seen to consume the Durian are followed till the fruit are 'passed' and then collected. That comparatively short journey through the digestive tract can put the price of a fruit up from $5.00 to $500! And there are people prepared to buy.

According to the jungle dwellers the fruit are swallowed whole after the elephant has smoothed off the vicious spikes or have wrapped the fruit in leaves. Again, knowing elephants, this is something I do feel is a little hard to believe. There is though the possibility of some Asian Zoos considering the legend and benefiting. Or perhaps the Elephants choice of fruit is an important part of the aphrodisiac properties.