I’m surprised I’d never heard of Cempedak. It does look a lot like Jackfruit. I wish Jackfruit were as easy to prepare.
Neil,
Cempedak, while look similar to jackfruit, the taste and smell is too intense for me and a lot of durian lovers I know. The mushy texture does not help, either. Funny, you said it did not taste cloying. I think it is so cloying I cannot eat it. The intense smell, the cloying taste and the mushy texture, what to like? 
. I believe this is the reason why cempedak has never risen in popularity in Thailand. It is eaten mostly in the southern part of Thailand. It probably is more popular Malaysia, Indonesia and the Phillippines.
I wish I like cempedak because the tree is so productive. You can have them. I stick with durian. We’re all good.
Here is the tree from my friend’s relative.
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Best way to have cempedak is battered and deep-fried. Tones down the intensity and caramelizes the sugars a bit. The crisp batter helps keep it from being too mushy too.
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That’s an interesting approach. To me, the fruit is already full of sugar. I am not sure if I should add fat from deep frying it. It would give me double-guilt.
I like fresh fruit so making fruit leather like durian , mango fruit leather or deep fried fruit would not be my go-to.
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Tippy, this is interesting. I found cempedak less cloying than durian, which I feel I should point out again I also like, so rather than choosing durian or cempedak, I’ll take both.
I have only that one experience eating those fruits side-by-side, and then later that same day eating durian again, so it’s possible my mind might be changed if I ever have the chance to eat both again several times. I don’t recall cempedak being mushier than durian, in fact I recall the reverse being the case. But this may be poor memory or a mushier variety of durian than you’ve been able to enjoy.
My preference for cempedak may simply come down to my preference for intense flavors. This will be a broken record to any who recall my infrequent posts here, but most of the fruit that comes out of my orchard, apples and stone fruit in particular, are far more intensely flavored (higher sugar, higher acid, more aromatics) than what one finds most other places fruit is grown. Fruitnut enjoys similar fruit out of his orchard and greenhouse. It’s not magic, it’s mostly environmental and water deficit related. This preference for intense flavors also extends across my culinary horizons. I really like bold flavors, so preferring cempedak more than durian, which is hardly a plain tasting fruit, is not surprising.
That picture makes my mouth water. I’d love to have that tree in my orchard!
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I share your assessment of chempedak. In some cases I’ve barely been able to keep it down. Yet it’s intriguing nonetheless.
Several years ago, some Asian students in my department at the medical center where I work got a care package from home that included some Durian Newtons. Exactly like Fig Newtons, but with durian. When the package was opened, most people started to flee the building within a couple of minutes and the police were called. Within 15 minutes, an evacuation of the building was ordered because of a suspected sewage leak. When the true source was revealed, the students were told to remove the offending “treats” and never bring anything like that inside again.
These things were incredibly horrible smelling. I have smelled frozen durian, but it was mild in comparison. I can’t imagine how anyone can eat something that like.
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Wow, that’s a beautiful load of fruit on that tree. If only that were jackfruit 
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I’ve eaten freeze dried durian from Costco and they are quite decent without the funk.
@HighandDry
In general, I like intense flavor, too. Cempedak (in Thai, it’s called Jum-pa-da จำปาดะ) is too intense to my liking. When eating it, I feel the same way @TrilobaTracker did. Hard to keep it down.
Granted I do not compare cempedak to durian. I compare it to its first cousin, jackfruit. That’s is where the night and day comes to mind.
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That’s the story of durian. The strong pungent smell that will linger for a long time indoors. Some varieties have stronger smell than others.
Frozen durians have mild smell, all things considered.
Freeze dried durian is great but in my experience still tons of funk both aromatically and taste wise.
Apparently the enzyme ALDL strongly inhibits the livers ability to break down alcohol. So it’s led to deaths while eating durian while consuming alcohol. Granted I’m sure the dose makes the poison in both categories. Thought this was interesting while searching what causes its specific aroma.
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I haven’t heard of anyone die from eating durian yet. I usually at 1 durian every 3 months or so from our local Asian market.
Tony
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It’s in tandem with copious amounts of alcohol, it of course won’t damage you alone.
I wonder if those of us with liver damage or liver issues in general are prone to repulsion from the fruit 
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I can’t drink alcohol. So, that’s good news to me re. my durian consumption.
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I have no desire to drink alcohol anymore, think I’d take a fresh durian over a glass of most anything these days.
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