DURIAN, The KING OF FRUITS!
The long-awaited Durian season has arrived in Southeast Asia, and this heavy, spikey fruit rules the roadside stands as the local populace flood vendors in search of this tropical delight. It’s nickname as the “KING” of fruits produces images of court jesters, silvery knights and ladies in flowing gowns bowing low as fanfares of horns pierce the air when this royal delicacy passes by. The durian is famous for its pungent odor which has caused it to be banned from elevators, taxis, businesses, hotels and more. Have you seen one? They’re pretty intimidating in physical form, heavy and dense, with a very spikey outer shell (it would work well as a battle axe or wrecking ball in a pinch). This seems to be the most loved or most hated fruit in the world (I determined this by using my 100% failsafe method of asking people). As new residents of Malaysia we were repeatedly “invited” (i.e., politely pressured, “You haven’t tried durian yet!?”) to partake of this locally grown delicacy. Natives of Malaysia reverently use phrases such as “heavenly”, “favorite”, “best in the world”, “amazing” and “soooo delicious” when describing the experience. First-time tasters on the other hand, have said, “NEVER AGAIN, EVER”, “NO-NO-NO”, “That was a terrible idea”, “Kill me now” and “I’d rather swallow a bowl of fire ants while sitting in a volcano.” Even Anthony Bourdain, renowned foodie and adventurer who actually enjoyed eating the stinky fruit, colorfully describes the aftermath of eating it: “Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother.” With glowing reviews like that, how could we not rush right out and try it ourselves? We hurried up into the jungles of Penang to try Durian at the source, and found our way to the Red Prawn Durian Orchards, who are said to have some of the best Durian on the island (at least that’s what the vendor at the orchard told us, so it's obviously legit). We watched in fascination as they used heavy gloves to hold the spiky fruit while razor sharp knives stabbed and pierced the thick skin. When opened it revealed strange yellowish colored fleshy fruit inside (and to be honest, it did look a little like an alien egg). When we mentioned it was our first time we were given those “we’ll take care of you” knowing looks and nods (which both reassured us and terrified us at the same time). Sitting at a rickety roadside table we stared at each other, wondering who would be the first to try it. Riot and Rochelle were bold enough to taste it first and both looked a bit confused as they each took their first bites. I then tried it and understood what the look meant. It was not what I expected. It’s difficult to describe, I found it soft, almost custard like in texture, with a light, slightly sweet delicate flavor. It wasn’t the drinking gasoline mule kick I was expecting from the description of other first timers. We three sat there next to jungle hills, on a well-traveled road, eating an infamous fruit in a faraway land, trying to put into words the flavor of this culinary experience. The strong impression that came into my mind was, “MEH” and I questioned out loud, “why eat durian when there’s mango available?”
Our food adventure ended, leaving us only our durian breath and belches throughout the night to remind us of our short encounter with produce royalty.
