Wednesday, September 11, 2013

The Thorny Durian - A Contentious Fruit of Ambrosiac Offerings

The most heavenly durian (Durio zibethinus) that I had ever tasted is the 'Musang King' (Civet King). It is purportedly to be their preferred choice of durians for the civet cats. The pulp is creamy, sweet and simply melts in the mouth. The best part is the puny and flat seeds which means that there's lot more flesh to indulge in. Other favourite varieties include the hybrids; D24 and Ang Hae (Red Shrimp) with its red meat.

A segment of a  D24 durian fruit.

After we were done with the civet cats' prefered durian, we tackled this D24 durian with its sweet delicious meat. These durians were gifts from my neighbour, Mike who got it from his father's orchard.

 A roadside fruit stall along the long narrow road in Balik Pulau, Penang island.

Red hairy rambutans, purplish-black mangosteens tied up in bundles and thorny durians.

Different varieties of durians. Suspended at the back is the cempedak, a fruit quite similar to jackfruit but with softer pulp. Some people like them fried.

A photo taken of durian tree in Balik Pulau, Penang island.


 
 
We were in Sandakan, Sabah right after a heavy seafood dinner, when we saw this vendor selling durians and langsat on the street. We were curious about how the fruit in East Malaysia would taste like, so we bought some. The durians had to be consumed in the street as almost all hotels have a ban on bringing this odoriferous fruit into the rooms


 

 

I read these two articles in The Star and New Straits Times- it was actually quite hilarious. Just go to prove that the adage, "One man's meat is another man's poison" is absolutely true.

Japanese cucumbers, cherry tomatoes from Cameron Highlands and some red currants from America. I was so full from stuffing up with durians that I only had this salad served with 'chilly-sesame seeds-garlic' dressing for dinner.


16 comments:

  1. Wonderful to fruit I have never seen or hear about before Elsie. It looks impressive.
    Have a wonderful day.

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    Replies
    1. Its heavenly, I can assure you, though it is an acquired taste for Westerners and Caucasians.

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  2. Wow, what an amazing fruit. I love that market stall - so much lovely fruit. I bet it tastes great!

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    1. Over here, its a called the 'King of Fruits', so you can imagine how much it means to us. We practically go gaga over it.

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  3. I wish we could eat these kinds of fruits here. And Breadfruit!! Yum!

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  4. Oh I dont know how you can get past the smell - we tasted some at a roadside stall in Borneo, and I really really could not get used to that. I managed to eat about a teaspoon and tasted it for the rest of the day!

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    Replies
    1. Most Caucasians have an aversion to it. However, I have white American friends who consume it with gusto. They even filled up their boots, each time they passed by their favourite stalls.

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  5. What a great temptation on having durians..
    Ohh.. durians..
    the love of the tasty creamy feel..
    Nothing can beat this King of the Fruits.

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    Replies
    1. Ha, ha James, spoken like a true Malaysian. I totally concur with you.

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  6. I read that news too Stiletto! I thought it was quite funny also haha... Hey yeah that's why durians are not allowed in hotels LOL. That durian on the plate, looks absolutely delliccciooous... yummy yummy I would love one hehe... And btw, that is good shot of the durian tree. You have a great weekend!

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    1. Hi Stephanie! I want some durian right now too. My apetitite for durian is insatiable. With Malaysia Day on Monday, we'll have a longer weekend. Have fun!

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    2. You have a yummy weekend! Happy feasting hehe...

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  7. I've heard that some fruit can be pretty smelly but still taste delicious. What does a durian taste like? How would a civet cat break one open and eat it? Is the rind tough?

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    1. To us durian lovers, they are both delicious and aromatic. The only objection is the strong smell which is impossible to hide or even to smuggle into the hotel room.

      The rind is very tough and prickly. I have never opened one myself as the guys in the family will do it, otherwise what are they for? We have to give them some domestic chores to make them feel inclusive, ;D

      The civet cats must have their ways to do it. Can only find out by installing CCTV in the durian orchard.

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  8. Hmmm, I cannot resist durians... urmmmm...

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    Replies
    1. Are durians readily available in Japan or you have to make trips back to take care of the durian fix.

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