Yin And Yang, The Durian Fruit
People in southeast Asia consider the durian the "King of Fruits."
The name "durian" comes from the Indonesian "duri," which means thorn, or spike, which the durian's outer shell is covered with, a deterrent to smaller animals wishing to consume the fruit.
It grows about the size of a football, generally weighing 2-7 pounds, but you wouldn't want to play football with this fruit!
Because the oddest thing of all about the durian is that while the taste is said to be incomparable to any other fruit on Earth, the smell of the fruit is also said to be one of the most noxious odors you will ever experience in your life!
While some people just think the fruit has a sweet smell, others find the scent of the fruit disgusting and overpowering, being described as being similar to "rotten onions, turpentine, and raw sewage."
Even the flowers of the fruit give off a "heavy, sour, buttery odor."
The smell is considered so vile, it has been forbidden on Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit, on airlines, and on other forms of public transportation, as well as in hotels.
In 1856, British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace described the fruit as "a rich almond-flavored custard."
He goes on to add, "there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp, which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy. It is neither acidic, nor sweet, nor juicy, yet it wants neither of these qualities, for it is in itself perfect...the more you eat of it, the less you feel inclined to stop...a food of the most exquisite flavor. It is unsurpassed."
Another traveller, from 1599, cited by Wallace, stated that "it is of such excellent taste that it surpasses in flavor all other fruits of the world!"
Citing yet another writer, Wallace wrote: "To those not used to it, it seems at first to smell like rotten onions, but immediately after they have tasted it, they prefer it to all other food."
However, Andrew Zimmern, host of Bizarre Foods, who has eaten a lot of weird stuff on his TV show through the years, was unable to continue eating a durian, after a taste, due to his not being able to tolerate its strong flavor.
Travel and food author Richard Sterling likens the smell of the fruit to: "pig-shit, turpentine, and onions, garnished with a gym sock."
Others have compared the odor to the civet, a small mammal that lives in the tropical forests of Asia and Africa.
The rather odd-looking civet
Still other comparisons have been made to "vomit, skunk spray, and used surgical swabs."
It is said that the strong odor of the fruit can be smelled from many yards away, and detected by animals, such as squirrels, mouse deer, pigs, orangutans, elephants and tigers, from half a mile away!
So, could you get past the nasty smell in order to get a taste of the delicious fruit?
Everywhere you go, in whatever you do, there is a bit of bad to go along with the good.
There are those things that seem like such a snap to do, and other tasks that are never easy for us.
Like the durian fruit...
The Yin and the Yang.
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The external spike protects the delicious of fruit.
The sadness and suffering like the spike shell the cover hapiness
Without the bad we wouldn't appreciate the good. If lifes path was easy, not only would we not appreciate it it would be taken for granted. Besides BORING. Anything bad should be just a challenge for our mind,body and spirit. Thanks for making me think!
You claim there is nothing that is just plain good, without bad in it? How about music or poetry, watching sunsets and stars?Eating strawberries dipped with chocolate(OK, without chocolate- excessive sugar and calories)?
Very interesting post though, thanks..:))
We occasionally have durian at home. Including durian ice cream. Durian smells like natural gas, which leads me to a story that happened in a west coast city.
My wife and her friends, all being Asian, were eating durian at lunch one day. Not thinking anything about it, they threw the shell and remains into a trash can.
Unfortunately, someone mistook the smell of the durian as a gas leak.
The building was evacuated and fire department called. The fire department conducted a fruitless search of the building for a gas leak.
Needless to say, they did not find a gas leak. Nor did they find the source of the smell. After all, who would think to look in a trash can for a gas leak?
My wife and friends were too embarrassed by all the commotion. So they did not say anything.
I have a hard time getting past the smell. But the kids like it. It has a creamy, custard like taste.
Yin and Yang pervade the universe Rick. One thing leads to another. Speaking of the civet, have a cup of "cat poop coffee" on me! http://catpoopcoffeeinc.com/what-is-cat-poop-coffee-aka-kopi-luwak/
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I think I would try it to see if it's as good as people are saying but not too sypure what I would do about the smell. Would love to try Mike's catpoopcoffee. I love coffee and it sounds interesting. Xc
I think I'd put a clothespin on my nose, then taste the fruit, Cheryl. :)
Well I was thinking I could hold my nose but a clothes peg would maybe be better. Xx
Then you've got both hands to dig into that custardy delight! :)
Exactly RIck lol. Xx
no would not help believe me .
Oh dear is it that bad lol. Xx
That bad, huh? :)