Eat Durian

A rich custard highly flavoured with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but there are occasional wafts of flavour that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and other incongruous dishes. Then there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy... -British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace describing the taste of a durian, 1856[1]

The durian, known as the "King of Fruits" in Southeast Asia, is not only intimidating because of its large size (1 to 3 kg, 2 to 7 lb) and thorn-covered husk, but also because it has a distinct fragrance that some people describe as "old gym socks" or "rotting flesh" and that has gotten the fruit officially banned from many public places in Asia. Still, the flavor of the flesh is highly prized and consumed in many parts of the world. If you're curious, you may want to give it a shot. You might discover a delectable treat, or you might be revolted—but remain with a funny story (and good photographs of your disgusted reaction) to share.

Steps

  1. Know when and where to find durians.
    • The fruit is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei[2], but is mainly exported by Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines[2]. Since the fruit grows only in tropical climates, it is not grown in many places. While rare, they can be found in the United States in Asian food markets. In Asia, they can be found in mainstream supermarkets while in season. They are also sold by street vendors in some Asian cities.[2].
    • The durian is strictly a seasonal fruit, typically grown from June to August[2]. Obtaining durians outside of the growing season is unlikely, unless they are frozen, in which case you will need to let it thaw overnight.
    • There is no right way to choose a "good" durian because the preferences are different in every region and can vary from person to person. If the durians are relatively young, the flesh inside will be crisp in texture and the flavor will be mild (which may be preferable if this is the first time you're eating durian). The fruit is ripe when the husk begins to crack open on its own, and some people let it ripen beyond that until the flesh is creamy, slightly alcoholic, and strongly aromatic. Overall, look for a big, strong stem to indicate freshness, and make sure you can hear the seeds inside when you shake it.[2]
  2. Buy your durian. If there is a large stock at the place where you are buying them, consider buying just one at first and then buying more if you find that you enjoy the first one. They can be up to $10 each[2]. You have the option of asking the store/vendor you bought the durian from to open it for you; it will save you this messy task, but it may present problems when you are transporting the durian home. If you have it opened at the store, bring an airtight container to store it in, but keep in mind that the odor will still be noticeable.
  3. Bring the durian home. If the durian you bought was opened for you at the store and the pods are stored in a container, you should be fine, but otherwise durians are forbidden on most mass transit systems because of their smell. Even if they are not specifically forbidden on your mass transit system, you may still want to avoid riding it as a courtesy to other passengers. If you must use mass transit, consider riding in a sparsely crowded car or in a bus seat away from everyone else, if possible.
    • As a general rule, avoid traversing crowded public places carrying durians. Consider driving home or better yet, riding a bicycle. If you do the former, make sure you open windows if possible to aerate the car.
    • The older the fruit, the stronger the odor. Also, cracked or partly opened fruit (even in closed container) produces more odor than unopened ones. If you plan to travel by public transport, you might want to open the fruit at home, which isn't hard to do if you know how.
  4. Open the durian. Lay paper where you will be working, as this can get messy. Inspect the durian's husk for natural "seams". This is where you will want focus your cutting and pulling efforts.
  5. Using a knife:
    • With a long, sharp knife, carefully a make a deep cut into the durian about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} long.
    • Bury your fingers into the cut and pry the hull apart. When you are finished, you should have two halves.
    • With the knife, make a deep cut into the fibrous divider along the center of the half. If the durian is very ripe, you will not need to do this.
    • Pull the halved sections apart.
    • Scoop the edible flesh out of the husk and repeat with the other half.
  6. Without a knife (safer): Use this method only if you have considerable weight (don't ask a kid to do it, for instance). It works best for almost ripe fruit, because it cracks easily.
    • Wear a shoe or a sandal which has a thick sole (you only need one of them). A sock is optional. You probably want to use your old tennis shoes, not your new ones.
    • Carefully step on the durian and apply some force to break it open, while holding onto something. Don't worry, it's easier than standing on a ball. Still, be careful.
    • When you think you cracked the fruit enough, you could cautiously put your finger between the crack and open the fruit along its natural divider.
    • Consume/move the fruits that are visible first, then when you have half of the durian's visible fruit removed/eaten, put the palm of your hands on each side of the white inside of the durian. Apply a little force to crack the half-durian in two.
    • Do the previous step for the other half.
  7. Enjoy your exotic durian! Hold the flesh in your hands and eat it, avoiding the pits. You can also cook it using recipes such as:

    * Durian pancakes[3]

    * Pulut Durian[4]

    * Tempoyak (fermented durian)[5]


    *Durian buns



Tips

  • Enjoy the creamy durian flesh with other tropical fruits such as coconut, pineapple, and papaya.
  • You can purchase durians in the United States in Asian supermarkets (Chinatown, Kampung Indonesia, etc) in large cities.
  • If the smell threw you aback, consider wearing nose plugs or try starting with the derivatives of the fruit (juice, pancake, etc.) where it has been mixed with other substances and the odor is not that pungent. To take away the stinky smell of durian, either from the mouth or hands, just pour water into the durian husk. Then drink and wash your hands with the water.

Warnings

  • When opening the durian, be careful not to cut yourself.
  • You may be fined if you take a durian somewhere where they are prohibited.
  • Do not eat too much durian as it may get you sick. Consider eating some mangosteen to cool yourself.
  • For some, durian tastes and feels like onions in a bag of water left to spoil in hot sunlight.

Things You'll Need

  • A sharp knife/a footwear (sandal or shoe) with a thick sole
  • Newspaper

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian#Flavour_and_odour
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian#Cultivation_and_availability
  3. ↑ http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Durian_Pancake
  4. ↑ http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Pulut_Durian
  5. ↑ http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Tempoyak

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