Durian is one of the
naturally strongest smelling fruits I have ever come across. And apparently I
am not the only one who feels that way. It is actually forbidden to even have
any of the fruit with you on public transport and in some hotels because its
odor is considered so revolting by some. One thing’s for sure: it seems to be a
love-it-or-hate-it kind of food.
Growing on trees in
moist, tropical climates throughout Southeast Asia, durians have a limited
season and an extremely short shelf life. The fruit, each weighing several
pounds, plummets down, already reeking with its characteristic aroma. Because
of the short duration of tasty ripeness, durians are expensive. They seemed to
average about $10/kilogram but highly prized varieties can go for $30/kilogram.
A quick search through the internet reveals a range of interesting descriptions
of the fruit from the flattering, “… a food of the most exquisite flavor it is
unsurpassed,” to the slightly less-than, “Its taste can only be described as…in
describable, something you will either love or despise…Your breath will smell
as if you had been French-kissing your dead grandmother.”
I am from Southeast
Asia so of course I had many chances to taste this most special fruit. When I
came to Canada, I did not think I could find durian here because with natives,
they do not even know what durian is. So I wonder, “Huhm…Maybe I can find it in
Chinatown?” And I am right! I did not have to look far. Durian is everywhere –
from ice cream, custards, pastries to the hard candies and of course fresh
whole big durians.
For one, durian does
not have an exoskeleton to go crunch when you take a bite. Once you chop
through those threatening spikes, the durian is a soft cream-filled delight
that is not scary or particularly disgusting at all. Finding a perfectly
delicious durian can be difficult even for me. Especially here I did not have a
choice when choosing durian because they are all frozen! They cost me $6.99 for a frozen box of flesh durian
and about $7.49/lbs for whole fresh durian one.
No food in the Western
palate really compares well to durian. None. Zilch. Cheese comes close –
sometimes. Butterscotch pudding – occasionally. Onions caramelized in wine – it
depends. Durian is a strange combination of savory, sweet, and creamy all at
once. I cannot compare it to another fruit because to me the fruitiness is
unlikely any other. When it ripe it can smell like a dead animal, but get down
to the pale yellow, creamy, sweet flesh, easily pried from the seeds, is the
overtones of hazelnut, apricot, caramelized banana and egg custard with just a
slight bitterness. It truly is sweet and rich, pulpy and meaty, like cherimoya
with and even thicker custard consistency, but its aftertaste, which seems to
travel up your throat, down your nose, and then back up and around again for
hours after consumption, is incredibly powerful and I personally found it
extremely unpleasant. That is the reason why I am not a big fan of this fruit.
However, I must say: I do craving for that sometimes.
Based on my experience,
I will sum it up like this: durian needs time to be appreciated. Do not expect
to love it at first bite, because you won’t. Once eaten, durian has a hard time
letting go. And don’t go inhaling a big whiff of it before you take a bite. If
you give it a chance (and do try the fresh fruit when getting used to it), you
might be surprised. It may just begin to grow on you.
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