D is for Durian: Yummy Fruits A-Z

Durian has been said to smell like rotten fruit, dirty gym socks, smelly armpits, and sewage. True, true, it is all true! I lived in Malaysia for nine months in 1995-96, and you could smell this fruit a block or more away.

I still remember the durian truck that lumbered through our neighborhood one afternoon, the driver honking his horn, the neighbors gathering with excitement as he approached. Malaysians love this fruit! At twelve inches long and six inches wide on average, and with a thorny husk as hard as a nut, durian is one funky-looking fruit.

Durian is native to southeast Asia, dating back to prehistoric times, but has only been known to the western world for about 600 years. Durian trees can grow from 60 to 164 feet tall. One fruit weighs around 3.3 pounds and can fetch a surprisingly high price. A high quality durian in Singapore, it is said, can cost as much as $50 U.S dollars! It has long since earned a reputation as the "King of the Fruits."  

Durian is eaten fresh, cooked as a vegetable, boiled, roasted and fried and added to various dishes, and sugared as a confection. Nutritionally, durian is a good source of dietary fiber, thiamine, vitamin B6, Manganese, and high in vitamin C. 

There are a lot myths surrounding this fruit, among them its aphrodisiac qualities and lethality when consumed with alcohol, neither of which has been proven. But one myth that is true is the legal damage a durian can do landing on one's head (as posted signs sometimes warn!). 

Durian Recipes

I don't have an official recipe to share, as the likelihood of finding durian in the U.S. is next to none. Ways prepared include durian mixed with chilies in a spicy Sambal sauce and durian mixed in curry sauce served over fish and vegetables. 

However, I saw Malaysians eating durian fresh and wanted to try. I bought a slice at the market one day, plugged my nose, 
and took a small bite. Once I got past the odor and slimy texture, it tasted a bit like squash.......but with a strong after taste....and then there was the odor problem. The vendor thought my sample was under ripe and should taste sweeter than squash. I later discovered Durian ice cream at the store. I thought, Wow, ice cream, how bad could that be? 

(Durian Ice Cream at Pink's)

SPIT OUT, SPIT OUT! It was the worst ice cream I had ever tasted. So.....imagine my surprise when I discovered online that it is now served at Pink's Ice Cream shop in Seattle, WA. You don't have to travel to Malaysia to sample it! 

I challenge you....next time you are in Seattle, stop by Pink's and give Durian Ice Cream a try. If you become a fan, I really want to know.

Durian Jokes

Said the Puffer fish to the Durian: 

"I'm in love, I'm in love!"

No  joke!

We saw signs like this at upscale hotels in Singapore and Malaysia.

Durian Books

Durian: King of Tropical Fruits by S. Ketsa (2001) (nonfiction)


Durian by Kelly Weisheit (2010)  
(With her family murdered, young Shekrah 
escapes to the Kingdom of Durian, where she meets the prince of Durian, Torian)

So How Smelly Is Durian? (video link)

Durian Song (video link)

"Durian" by Zainal Alam (1950)

Zainal Alam (1926-1991) was born in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. A popular performer in his day, he has been called the 'Bob Hope' and 'Bing Crosby' of Malaysia. (Song is in Malay).

Sources: http://zainalalam-memoirs.blogspot.com/; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian

http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/DietandNutrition/Pages/durians-8-myths-and-facts-about-the-king-of-fruits.aspx; http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2088/2

Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing