Why the durian fruit are not being served during Ghost festival or Ching Ming ?

Question

Why the durian fruit are not being served during Ghost festival or Ching Ming ?

Answer 1

Because they smell like rotting c**p!! Literally!! But apparently, they are supposed to taste pretty good.

Answer 2

As the saying goes - "One man's meat is another man's poison".

This is the Chinese tale I heard from my mum when we asked her on the same question - why we dont serve durians to Gods or dieties.  

The story goes like this.  Long, long time ago, there was this diety, Sam Poh Kong who are in charge of the continents all over the world  and it is said that he got magical powers.  During that time there was no toilet and when he's out in the jungle and whenever he does his "big business" (if you know what i mean) he will wrapped up it up with leaves and hang it on the trees and that has turned into durian fruits instead.  So that's why the durians got this strange smell and could smell like "those thing".

So you will never see the Chinese offer durians to God or deities.  

It will be a grave offence.

Sorry, durian lovers - that's the story I heard.

Still I love durians and have enjoyed alot of durians these last 2 months - yummy...... ;-)

Answer 3

Durian is a fruit from South East Asia, it isn't Chinese. Even though Chinese all over South East Asia eat them.

Answer 4

They do smell very awful, probably the quirkiest fruit in the world.  The flesh around the inside of the pod looks like an oyster was force fed vanilla ice cream.

Durian that has been left out also attracts Elephants, Tigers and  other animals.  It's terrible smell to us smells good to certain animals.  I kid you not, see my source.

Answer 5

If I recall you leave the food out as an offering for the Ghost festival.

Durian fruit have an awful smell that hangs around even after they have gone.

The smell is so bad that several airlines ban the carrying on of durian fruit on there flights.

The reason why durian fruit is not used maybe down to politeness of not wanting to stink out your guests or the surrondings which are used by other people.

Answer 6

really? i live in singapore and we eat durians almost every other week. even during the hungry ghost festival or qing ming. no particular significance. i've even seen people bringing durians as a form of offering for their dead loved ones.