Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Wonderful But Ghastly
It tastes lovely and smells atrocious. It's the incredible Durian fruit! An ex-co-worker of mine said it was 'like eating a Linzer Tart in an outhouse...' And, of course, famously, the Durian is verboten on the Singapore Subway System (lower right corner of this picture)..
Southeast Asia's 'King of Fruits' is distinctive for its large size, unique taste and odor, and formidable thorn-covered husk.
Here's Durian flesh packed for sale, with an exposed seed. This edible flesh emits a distinctive odour, strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive.
The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine and gym socks. Here's an on-tree Durian - it's flowers open only at night...
The Durian's thorns are sharp enough, alas, to draw blood!
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