Although durian fans are quick to praise the fruit's unique aroma and flavor, critics condemn this delicacy as repugnant. Thus, it is banned from many hotels, public transportation and airlines in Southeast Asia. During an April 2010 trip to Thailand, this reporter spotted durian sold whole and sliced at a number of outdoor produce markets. Its smell was unmistakable; there's never a question when one is in durian territory.
"I tried it but never liked it," says Bangkok resident Ketsara Chocksmai, interviewed recently at a hotel in Chiang Mai,Thailand. In addition to its bad smell, Chocksmai finds durian too sweet, very rich in calories and sugar. Still, she admits, "Most Japanese, Taiwanese, Thai and Chinese people love it." Despite her negative feelings, she says her two daughters are extremely fond of durian, typically served in Thailand as a dessert, cooked with sticky rice in coconut milk.
Hold Your Nose When Tasting Durian
Western palates are not quite as agreeable in regard to its virtues. According to Genevieve Koski's Mar. 22, 2010 article published on avclub.com, a group of taste-testers found the fruit's onion-like component more about smell than taste. When holding one's nose, she writes, "it becomes comparable to an overripe guava or banana that someone rubbed all over his feet. The consistency is pulpy and a little custardy—it would be easy to smear this stuff on a bagel you wanted to ruin completely."
Durian is Known as the "King of Fruits"
Durian, also known as the "King of Fruits," originated in Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and some believe the Philippines. Growing on trees that may reach up to 165 feet in height, the fruit can be round or oval and weigh in at up to seven pounds.
It is also grown in other tropical climes whose temperatures do not dip below 72 degrees Farenheit. Among them, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka and Hainan Island in South China. Depending on its species (there are 30, of which nine can be eaten), durian's thorny husk is brown or green and its edible pulp, light yellow to red.
Because of their hard, spiny exterior that may cause injury, even death if landing on someone, durians are not picked. Rather, they are removed from the ground as soon as they fall because of their perishability. Villagers construct and live in grass huts near durian tree areas during harvest season to gather the fruit upon falling. They are best eaten when ripe, two to four days after they are collected.
Durian Scores Big in Southeast Asian Desserts and Savory Dishes
According to the Website the floweringgarden.com, dishes in which durian is a welcome ingredient include Malay candy, rose biscuits, ice cream, milkshakes and mooncakes, Yule logs and cappuccino. In Borneo's Sabah state, a popular side dish features red durian fried with onions and chili. Sayur, a fish soup served in Indonesia, also uses red durian, while in Sumatra, locals enjoy fish prepared in a durian-based sauce.
Floweringgarden.com reports the conversion of durian into paste blocks mixed with pumpkin, sold in Thai markets. In addition, it notes that while durian is mostly used in desserts in the Philippines, in Malaysia it is used to make both sugary and salty preserves. While toxic when raw, durian's chestnut-size seeds don't go to waste, as evidenced by their culinary appeal through boiling, roasting or frying in coconut oil. On the island of Java, durian seeds are relished as a confection when thinly sliced and cooked with sugar. Even honey bees are attracted to the durian flower's nectar and pollen, considered a significant source of the sticky spread.
Because durian is not available year-round, it can be expensive, depending on where it is sold. In pricey Singapore, at an average weight of 3.3 lbs., it may cost between $8 to $15 (quoted in U.S. currency). In much poorer Thailand, produce vendors in Chiang Mai were recently selling small-sized durian for about the equivalent of $1. A California-based exotic fruit mail-order company currently sells one durian at the sale price of $69.99 plus shipping (regular price $89.99).
In the United States, durian is available in Asian markets and various Chinatown areas. While frozen durian is available in the freezer section at select grocery stores, many claim the product is a mere hint of its fresh counterpart, with major deficits in taste and texture.
Even TV's Andrew Zimmern has something to say about durian. On a segment slated for posterity on YouTube, the television personality and star of the show "Bizarre Foods," is seen gagging before sampling the fruit. "It tastes like completely rotten, mushy onions," he says on the video, adding "This is too much for me."
Sources:
tropicalfruits.biz
hubpages.com
Nadia Lerner - I worked as a staff writer in the Features Department of The Advocate, a daily (Tribune-owned) newspaper in Stamford, CT from 1990 until ...
