October 16, 2005
Durian hell
Although I was warned before I went to Malaysia about the local "delicacy" called durian, I was drawn like moth to flame. My travel mantra is to always try to local foods, so durian was a must, even though durian is famous for its stench (enough to get the fruit banned from local hotels) and strong taste.
That said, I knew it would be a bit daunting, so I tried what I thought would be a safer form -- durian cheesecake. It tasted like liver and onion cheesecake. The taste was oddly strong and not at all what I expected. A second bit confirmed the overwhelming flavor. That was enough for me. The durian burps later that evening were rueful reminders of my experiment gone bad.
I can almost see how durian would be an acquired taste like strong cheese. There was something complex about the flavor, but I don't think I'll be working too hard to pick up a taste for durian.
Posted by Tony at October 16, 2005 10:04 AM | TrackBackPeople tried to convince me to try durian when they found out that I was going to Thailand. I refused and I refused when I got there. The stench was enough to turn me away!
Posted by: Al at October 16, 2005 06:03 PMI hate to be rude, but... I told you, I told you, I told you !! I respect your sense of adventure though and being a traveller, not just a tourist.
Posted by: Jeff Petrin at October 16, 2005 11:19 PMYes, Jeff, you did. I even heard your warnings again as I put the damn thing in my mouth and heard you say "I told you, I told you, I told you!!" after I choked down the mouthful.
Oh well.
Posted by: Tony at October 16, 2005 11:58 PMew! Sounds like something that should be on Steve, Don't Eat It!
Posted by: L at October 18, 2005 03:09 PMdurian is the king of all fruits. singaporeans LOVE durian. puffs, rolls, cakes, icecream, mooncakes, rotiprata in durian flavour. u name it and we got it. glad to noe im living in a country that embraces this wonderful fruit so i can easily fulfil my durian cravings! :)
Posted by: from singapore at June 29, 2006 02:09 AM