Peter: > No real argument except that I fail to see why people living in France > should have any nutritional need for having durians as a staple in > their diet - not considering the amount of energy wasted in the > transportation. As a treat now and then I understand. Strictly speaking, we don't "need" durians; no food is essential. Paleo-humans living in Africa didn't have durians or avocados. But I can't deny that the pleasure of eating apples has never reached the pleasure I sometimes get with durians, and can hardly imagine that it is due to my neurotic cravings. As I can afford that "luxury product", I do it occasionally. Not that I particularly need it for my health (other foods would fulfill these needs just more slowly), but pleasure is important. No one would condemn going to the movie, buying CDs... But I agree with you that saying such things as "durian is fundamental for detoxing such and such things" is nonsense. You also seem to be concerned by ecological aspects. I am too, up to a certain point, but could hardly imagine eating only fruits that grow in my country. Never eating bananas, oranges, avocados, pineapples would be rather ascetic. Durian is not "more" tropical than bananas, but due to the tiny amount of edible parts, more energy is wasted. I generally avoid fruits shipped by plane, paying double price for pineapples is not worth the slight improvement of the taste. OTOH, we all use cars and/or public transportation, occasionally travel by plane... And even a round trip by plane for a Bob Avery without luggage after a 18-day fast (83 lbs) is equivalent to a single ticket for 28 durians of 6 lbs -. [This is a paleo-smiley] Best wishes, Jean-Louis.