The durian is a rather interesting and unique fruit, due to the wide range of opinions people have regarding its taste and especially its odor, with views ranging from deep appreciation to intense disgust. Its odor is so strong that it can linger for days, which is why some hotels and transportation companies in Southeast Asia banned the fruit. Those who like it describe the flavor as that of custard, caramel and almonds, with hints of cream cheese, onions and wine, most of these people admit that they did not like the smell at first, though were not disgusted by it, but once they sampled the fruit the smell no longer bothered them. However those people that do not like the fruit describe the odor as being similar to raw sewage, stale vomit, skunk spray or surgical swabs and the taste similar to turpentine. There a few explanations for the wide range of tastes and smells, the main one being there are 30 different species of the fruit, with each species having varied flavor and odor. Though by far the most commonly eaten species is Durio zibethinus, and its flavor and odor can vary greatly depending on the conditions it is grown in, and the timing of its harvest.