In the tropics, there are rainy and dry seasons . There is also the eagerly anticipated durian season. Among the enthusiasts,durian season is as much anticipated as the Christmas season .
‘Eating a good durian is like tasting a good bottle of claret .’ says an Englishman, Nigel Pendrigh.A durian connoisseur,Nigel has acquired the taste of durain 8 years ago.He described a durian experience as being 3 dimentional –rich in aroma,flavour and nuances.
Not surprisingly it was Nigel and his wife,Fee who brought me to the durian plantation in Balik Pulau in Penang.The plantation boasts of 1000 durian trees which are aged between 60 to 100 years old.We went there in the month of July,right smack at the peak of the durian season.There we tasted a wide varieties of durians ranging from Ooi Kneow,(yellow ginger) to Ang Hae( Red Shrimp);from Peh Bak Eu ( White Pork Lard) to Ling Feng Geow(named after Jackie Chan’s wife).Hor Lor ,D 11 ,D 24 are all being served at this decadent durian feast.These are’ branded’ durians which are prized for their taste ,textures and flavours. Some of these yummy varieties have won much coveted durian competitions .Mrs Lim,wife of the plantation owner,offered us her irrissitable home made durian’ kuih’.We were told that these were made from 30 kg of pure durian pulp and 3 kg of sugar with special mention that no flour was added in her recipe.Oh! that explains the superb aroma oozing from these delightful mouthfuls.
Durian has inspired many to use it in sweet edibles such as Dodol ,ice cream ,pastries and moon cakes amongst others.My favourite durian dessert ,durian pulut( glutinous rice steamed with coconut milk), is a rich deadly combination that had me running many hours on the treadmill.But it’s worth it.
Durian is commonly known to possess a ‘heaty ‘ effect .Many claim that this effect can be countered by drinking water from the durian husk .To rid hands and breath from the odour of durians,pour water into an empty husk; rinse and drink from it.
Love it or hate it,durians will always stick out like no other fruits.
5 comments:
Durians! Love them or hate them. That is so apt. But I wonder if you can love them and hate them at the same time. For durian lovers, its smell is not an issue. In fact they salivate at the slight tinge of the repugnant scent. Liking durians is rarely (almost never) an acquired taste. I think one is born to like or loathe them. A non durian lover will not comprehend the sheer heavenly joy and deliciousness durian lovers experience as they bite into the soft and creamy fruit which just melt in the mouth and how they do not worry about the smell which remains behind and around them. You cannot be delicate when tackling durians as you eat with yours hands and the smell may linger longer than they are welcome. If anyone says, 'I don't mind durians' ' I like durians but don't crave for them' it is like a person who once was so passionately in love with you has finally come to his or her senses that you may not worth the inconvenient truth eg. your parents do not approve of him or her or that you are already taken. In the case of durians, their provocative personality.
huh! you re quick to respond.Looks like blogging is one good way of catching up given our hectic schedules.I've started reading 'Garlic and Saphires'.RUTH REICHL is knoweldgeable and witty.Thanks for the recommendation.
I love durians. I love those which are bittersweet. There's something almost incredible and fascinating about this king of fruits! Glad to find that you're an ardent fan too. We must have a durian feast together!
Penang durian seem to avoid the pungent smell of durian from other areas (which are more akin to drinking cheap wine) - they are more sophisticated somehow
For those of you who have responded,we should plan a durian feast before the grade A durians ,the ones from Balik Pulau ,run out of season.
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