Food: Durian

It's been a long time coming, but the Szechuan Sage (a foodie from way back) has finally tasted durian.

I first learned of this fruit, sometimes referred to as the "king of fruit", from watching Bizarre Foods on cable television. Ever since then I have heard about how bad it smells and how good it tastes. 

Today, after visiting Sweeties Paradise, it finally happened. For the princely sum of $6.05 I walked away with two durian pancakes. The pancake itself was soft and thin and slightly green in colour. Inside was a whole lot of cream, and under the cream - the durian. The comments about the smell were spot on. I was caught unaware because I expected the durian to be mixed with something so it would not smell so strongly. It is quite a pungent smell to be sure but I did not find it to be unpleasant. My wife and the younger sageling beg to differ. They most certainly did NOT like the smell. They thought it was worse than garlic (they really do not like garlic at all) especially since it seemed to linger. Their expressions were amusing and well worth the price alone. The taste was pleasant. It had that "tropical fruit taste" without being too sweet or too tart. And it was well matched with the cream.

I would like to try it again, perhaps next time as a pudding. If you get the chance to try durian, please don't be afraid. You might actually like it if you get past the smell.

Thank-you for reading