Durian, the King of Fruits

If you have ever been to SE Asia, you have probably experienced the fruit called durian. It is an unforgettable sensory experience. It literally taps into all 5 senses unlike any other fruit. Because we were in Singapore, where durian is a local favorite, and because we had never experienced it before and consider ourselves fairly adventurous eaters, our good friends Charmaine and Dean thrilled at the opportunity to excite our senses and introduce us to this brand new fruit.

Our durian sensory journey starts with the smell which is probably one of the most distinctive features of this fruit. The edible flesh emits an odor that is strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people find the odor pleasant and sweet; others find it intense and overpowering.  It's hard to describe the smell but you immediately know when you are in the vicinity of durians. The fragrance is so intense that when looking around, we were not always able to see them immediately. We could smell them and were surprised to find that they were oftentimes nearly a block away.

If you ask us what we think of the smell, we will politely demur and tell you that we are not rushing out to buy a durian-scented air freshener or candle. Even though we are used to a lot of intense smells in NYC, the smell is hard to describe and is unlike any of the odors we have typically experienced. Even our hosts, Tim and Jess, politely advised us that durian would not be allowed in their home.

Nick bravely picks up a durian

We giggled to ourselves when we hopped on the MRT and saw a sign specifically prohibiting passengers from bringing durian on the train. Apparently, the fruit is prohibited in many such public spaces not just because of the smell but also because the odor has been known to linger for weeks. Though, who knows, it might also be prohibited on trains, busses and planes because of the spikes on the fruit. Which leads us to the sense of touch.

No durians are allowed on public transportation  

The durian has a formidable thorn-covered husk. Think tiny sharp spikes all over a piece of fruit that is similar in shape and size to a pineapple.  It's kind of scary looking and could probably be used as a weapon. If they had durians at Fairway, you might have to sign a waiver before attempting to pick one up. Nick, who loves to touch things was quick to retreat when he almost pierced his finger on a durian spike. Risk-averse Tim who witnessed Nick's close call kept his distance for fear of ending up in a Singaporean hospital. In fact, the name "durian" is derived from the Malay-Indonesian word for duri or "spike." It is a fruit aptly named. To get to the fruit of the durian requires the assistance of a durian specialist who carries a mini machete in one hand and with the other gloved hand holding the spiky outside chops it oh-so-precisely so you can easily open it and extract the fruit. Which leads us to taste...

Our durian expert with his mini machete

Anthony Bourdain, a lover of durian, relates his encounter with the taste of the fruit thus: "Its taste can only be described as...indescribable, something you will either love or despise. ...Your breath will smell as if you'd been French-kissing your dead grandmother." Hopefully, our dear friends, Charmaine and Dean, who introduced us to durian will laugh at this quote. It pretty accurately describes the overall durian taste experience. At first taste, we found the fruit creamy in texture and slightly sweet. Apparently, different varieties of durian have slightly different flavors which is why we sampled several different types. What we didn't expect was the way in which it sticks with you. We didn't just taste durian once. We tasted it many times burping durian well into the night and a bit the next morning. It was interesting and exotic the first time. After the fourth or fifth time, we were done. Tim's gastrointestinal systems said, "no more, never again."

We were also told by Charmaine and Dean that durian is believed to have warming properties and should never be eaten with coffee or alcoholic beverages. We did, however, have tea afterwards which is believed to have cooling properties to counteract the warming effect. We're not sure if it helped or not because we started sweating when we landed in Singapore and never stopped.

If you see a durian, you know it's a durian. It's unlike any other fruit. Regarded by many people in SE Asia as the "king of fruits", on the outside the durian is large, greenish-brown, and thorn-covered. Inside, the shell is white and hard while the fruit (which surrounds a largish seed) is kidney-shaped with a milky-cream, yellowish color. The durian grows on a large tree which ranges in height anywhere between 80 and 160 ft. When we asked Charmaine and Dean about walking under a tree and being hit by a falling durian (death by durian), they told us that durians typically fall in the middle of the night. If your idea of romance is to walk through an orchard at night, we strongly recommend choosing something other than a durian orchard.

Carefully extracting the milky fruit of a durian  

Happily, though, modern technology now involves placing nets under the foliage of a tree to catch the durian before it falls to the ground and cracks open (or spikes an unsuspecting person).

As we were walking through the wet markets in Singapore, we saw many stands devoted solely to durians. However not all durian stands are equal. Just like every NYer has a favorite pizza joint, the Singaporean locals (those who eat durian) have their favorite durian joints. They all looked the same to us but Charmaine and Dean assured us they are different. 

With our friends Dean and Charmaine picking out durians at their favorite durian joint

When it came to picking out a durian to eat, we were clueless. We typically know what makes an apple, banana or cantaloupe ready-to-eat but a ripe durian? No idea. Given the spikes and the certainty of being hospitalized, we weren't about ready to tap on a durian. Enter the durian shop specialists. With their tiny durian-sized machetes, they would tap-tap on the spikes of the durian to determine whether it was ripe and just how many pieces of fruit were contained under that hard, imposing shell. Yes, the durian has a sound and even though we couldn't really hear anything ourselves, the specialist knew just what to look for and helped us find the best tasting fruit.

The first taste

So there you have it. The sight, sound, taste, touch and smell of a durian, a fruit like no other, the king of fruits, and a wonderful, intense, one-of-a-kind experience. Thanks Charmaine and Dean for a true Singaporean experience.