Monday, April 20, 2009

Durian

Many of you probably have seen Bizarre Foods on Travel channel or Fear Factor on channel 5 NBC . They once mentioned about Durian. It is referred to as the “King of fruits”, widely-known in southeast Asia.

Durian is seasonal, native to Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei . Vietnam and The Philippines also grow durian. It is not native to Thailand, but the country is currently one of the major exporters of durians.

It is not easy fruit to enjoy because of its odor. Many people express diverse and passionate views ranging from deep appreciation to intense disgust.

Many people describe its odor as kitty-cat litter, leaked gas, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away, and in Asia it is banned in public places such as hotels, malls, subways, airports because of its odor not being pleasant to tourists. On the contrary, many people in southeast Asia love its odor and its taste.

The same goes for flavor. You either love it or you could not handle it . The flavor is used in a wide variety of foods, such as in ice-cream, milkshakes, mooncakes, and cakes.

Picking durian to see if it’s ready to eat is an art. Some smell the bottom of the stem. If it emits a strong smell, then it ‘s ready to consume. Some hit the fruit with a stick and hear the appropriate slightly hollow “thunk” sound.

It has concentrated sweetness, has a succulent, creamy filling, and is so unique that you have to taste it to see for yourself.

My husband, who is an American, likes to try everything, and odd foods from different countries. He discovered that durian goes well with cognac, it complements the durian odor, and believe it or not, he really loves it.

We both enjoy having durian or chocolate with cognac to watch our favorite show ” Gossip Girl” on Monday night.

This is whole durian and half-cut look like:

The fruit meat holds its seed:

A glass of cognac goes with it perfectly.

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16 comments on “Durian”

1. CestLaVy on April 21, 2009 at 2:31 am said:

   I really like it myself! =)

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2. fabulous everything on April 21, 2009 at 5:29 am said:

   Haha being part asian I’ve always heard about it from friends but have never had the guts to try it!!! I’m partly scared but maybe I should give it a try.. it kinda looks intriguing!!

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3. Amee on April 21, 2009 at 5:42 am said:

   Thanks for sharing Hanh! My mom has one waiting at home! I can’t stand the smell of durian or papaya…however I love the taste of both! I heard they get pretty expensive..

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4. Brigadeiro on April 21, 2009 at 9:07 am said:

   My hubby (originally from Malaysia), LOVES durian, and his city is famous for it. I can’t stand the stuff personally, managed to swallow a piece once, and the 2nd time, in front of his extended family (feeling confident as I had eated one a day earlier), tried eating another piece, and gag reflex meant I spat it straight out…I was mortified! Haha!
   xx

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5. proudly says, on April 21, 2009 at 12:40 pm said:

   i love durian too!
   but some people they can’t stand with it’s odor!
   for me, it smells so good!

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6. Cari (isnotfashion) on April 21, 2009 at 2:26 pm said:

   I’ve never heard of it but sounds like something I would not be able to handle. You’re lucky your man watches GG with you! Mine can’t even stay in the room. xo Cari
   http://isnotfashion.blogspot.com/

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7. Elly + Yin on April 21, 2009 at 5:01 pm said:

   One of my favourite fruits! Even better as ice cream. My mom taught me to gargle salt water soon after you finish eating. This way, you will get rid of the smell from your mouth…..by about 70% i’d say =)

   eLLy*CCC

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8. LuxiRare on April 21, 2009 at 11:09 pm said:

   ok seriously…we watched the same episode about durian that Zimmern did and HE KEPT talking about the smell!!! hahahhaa I love that you watch Bizarre foods on travel channel. I love zimmern and Anthony Bourdain no reservations. I love that you are into food and fashion.

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9. Hanh on April 21, 2009 at 11:26 pm said:

   Hello everyone,
   Thank you everyone for your comments. Durian is great thing to experient in life. I’m glad that most of you like it.

   Hi Brigadeiro, I love your story.

   Hi LuxiRare, I love Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain and their shows are absolutely great. It’s nice to know you like them too.

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10. Rachie-Pie on May 5, 2009 at 1:25 am said:

    I LOVE durian fruit and I ADORE the smell, it the distintive smell i love whenever i walk into a chinese supermarket. it makes me drool!!!

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11. Anonymous on June 4, 2009 at 10:52 am said:

    God Bless

    Keep learning,stay hungry for life and keep smiling through the good and the bad..

    xxxx

    Gossip Girl rocks!!!!lol

    Reply ↓
12. PUNKIE on June 5, 2009 at 6:58 am said:

    I'm very curious about the first fruit… it reminds me a bit at lychees… it seems to be so sweet and good tasting!

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13. K on June 16, 2009 at 4:41 am said:

    I adore Gossip Girl!

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14. Debra on June 18, 2009 at 4:00 am said:

    Durian is great when you hold your nose to eat it…the smell lingers in your house.

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15. Phyllis on July 26, 2009 at 3:02 pm said:

    It's pretty good frozen too… makes the texture creamier

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16. Jing Ayuban on August 28, 2009 at 8:09 am said:

    I really love love LOVE durian.it's my favorite fruit and i love its smell. hehe

    YOu are fabulous and amazing!

    from Philippines,
    Jing

    Reply ↓