The pungent smelling Durian, the "king of fruits" to many South East Asians, was presented as a gift to Japanese PM Koizumi by Thai counterpart Thakin during his visit to Thailand earlier this week....

Slyly, the Japanese PM decided not to sample his wares until he landed in Jakarta the day after.

His comment - "It's not as it has been said". He also remarked that the taste was "sweet" and "better than high-quality ice-cream".

Don't take his word for it. The Thai version of the durian is a pale imitation of the real version - obtainable in Malaysia. The latter version is known to make grown men weep...