Today marked the day that I got my first real chance with the "king of fruits," durian. Before, I had only heard about durian and the divergent opinions on the fruit. The only time that the opportunity was presented for me to try it, the fruit wasn't ripe enough to enjoy. But today was a different story!
I have mentioned durian before and the obsession that Southeast Asia and the Philippines has with the fruit. Most natives speak very highly of it and love to share it with foreign visitors. For the most part, the Americans I have talked to didn't share the beliefs of the native. Nonetheless, I held true to my philosophy of trying as many different things as I can while I am here.
A departing coworker picked up about $30 worth of durian as a gift to the office on his last day. I went with him to purchase it from a little street vendor 30 min from the office. I watched as they inspected the fruit to get the best quality. It was hard to tell if there was a process to the inspection or not. The vendor produced a sizable knife and began alternating between hitting the fruit with the dull side of the knife and cutting seams in the sides of the husk. He did it with such nonchalance that I am surprised his fingers weren't covered in noticeable scars.
We loaded our precious cargo in the van and made the 30 min return trip to the office. Our Asians friends were obviously excited to get back and enjoy the "delicacy." However, the car ride got a little more interesting once the pungent smell of the durian made its way from the back of the van to the front; eventually filling the car with a smell that I would compare to old, moldy socks or raw sewage. Being a durian novice, I almost couldn't handle it! I was so happy to have some fresh air at the end of the ride.
"It smells like hell, ..."
The smell of durian is so extremely strong. Since not everyone finds the foul smell enjoyable, it is actually banned in different places (from what I have been told): airplanes, public buildings, and anywhere else that has a sign like below. We had to eat the durian in a secluded conference room with the windows open and door to the office closed so as not to offend anyone.
We gathered around the fruit as it was divided among everyone present. I reached for one of the smaller pieces and dug in. The taste shared no similarities with the smell. Whereas the smell was overwhelming and unenjoyable, the taste was ... tolerable. I won't say that it is the best fruit I have had, but it is definitely something that I could eat. However, the texture was very interesting. Gooey and fibrous at the same time. It was a little more difficult for me to handle a texture that I didn't expect. But I finished my piece and politely turned down offers for seconds. Which was fine, because everyone else couldn't get enough of the durian! Especially our field civil engineer from China, Yang, who was very excited to see the large durian that we brought back:
"... it tastes ok."
I did it, though! I may have felt like a contestant on some wacky game show, but I survived. I tried the durian and crossed off another item on my Philippines bucket list. Between durian and boiled fetal duck eggs (balut), I have experienced many unique foods here. I would love to bring both of these foods back to the States to share with my friends and family. Not for their enjoyment, but so that I can laugh at and sympathize with their discomfort of trying these foods.
The final countdown has started! I only have one week left of work before I depart for the US. I have no idea where the time has gone, but it has been fun. I will try and sneak more blog posts in about my finals days in SE Asia.
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