In Asia, considered one of the biggest delicacies, although you will not go with him to the bus or hotel room. The first meeting with him of the European palate can end very differently. As adored as hated. Certainly arouses controversy, and its aroma repels rather than tempts. The hero of our culinary voyages today is durian, i.e. the king among fruits.
Royal Durian
The Polish name of this controversial fruit sounds very sweet and caressing – it is a bug car. It is commonly called durian, which is derived from the Malay word duri , meaning spike. This is of course understandable due to its anatomy. From the outside, it is protected by a thick green shell with numerous spines. Inside, it consists of three chambers in which the pulp, which is vanilla-colored, is stored, and its consistency resembles a well-prepared pudding. Its royal attribute is certainly the unique taste, but also the size. They are not the smallest, and the mature form can weigh even a few kilograms. If we add to this the fact that durian grows on trees up to 40 meters high, we can also consider it one of the most dangerous fruits in the world – a close encounter with such a falling colossus may end, at least with a slight damage to health .
Not so scary as they paint it?
Durian is the subject of many anecdotes around the world that are even growing to the rank of legends. One of them says that after eating it you should not drink alcohol. This can result in various repercussions, severe poisoning and even death. However, there are no scientifically substantiated arguments for it and it is difficult to find clear information on this topic. Supporters and opponents of this theory have been fighting each other for several years. However, the fact is that Singapore has fermented durian into wine – check it out for yourself.
In China, durian is considered a “hot” fruit, so don’t eat too much. Immediately after eating durian, it is recommended to eat the same amount of “cold” fruit, e.g. mangosteen that is considered the queen of fruits. Durian is considered a rarity mainly in Malaysia and Thailand. It is prepared in many forms: from soups to cakes to ice cream. Currently, durian is also grown outside of Asia , such as in Australia, North America and Central America.
Durian and his famous “smell”
The fruit smells intensely. The word “smells” is a very delicate word anyway. Durian definitely smells. The sweet, sharp scent spreads a few hundred meters from the stalls on which the fruit lies. It is difficult to clearly define this fragrance. You can certainly find notes related to carrion in it. Some even claim that this “unusual aroma” is made up of the smell of sweaty socks, rotten meat and fried onions. It is not surprising that American scientists are even trying to select less fragrant varieties of this fruit, after all, it is unbearable even for Asians.
Remember not to show up in public when you taste a bit of durian. The smell that is produced after eating is similar to the garlic effect – only a few times more intense. Therefore, people who just consumed it are unlikely to be allowed, e.g. on board an aircraft. We don’t even have anything to dream of bringing it. After several minutes, this fragrance will become unbearable for fellow passengers. In some shopping centers and most hotels we will see a plate with a drawing of a crossed fruit king.
We don’t know if you take our word for it. You can read other texts about durian, but you will not find anything new in them 🙂 However, if you continue to adopt the attitude of St. Tomasz, watch this video. The guy faced durian. He survived and is doing quite well.
If you want to try durian, you have to go on a trip to South and East Asia. After all, the fruit is very unstable and would not reach fresh Poland (think about the tortures of the ship’s crew :), so you can’t get it with us. And so – we’re packing up and going! Durian and other adventures are waiting!
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