Durian – the world’s smelliest fruit

To celebrate our February birthdays, our friend Linda took Sarah and me out to dinner at the new Vietnamese restaurant in town tonight. Good meal. For dessert, I noticed the coconut and durian rice pudding. I wanted the rice pudding since I’m doing an article on rice pudding and I’ve got a coconut rice recipe in it. Linda asked whether I was sure and I realized, durian, not something to order lightly. Linda and Sarah said they would sit at another table if necessary.

Described as somewhere between silky and custardy to an odor like a dead body, durian is banned in public places in the areas in which it grows. Wikipedia has some good quotes and durian.net is a paen to the fruit. Our waitress said that it is supposed to smell worse if it isn’t frozen and “I don’t want go near it if it does.” I figured, what the hey. It’s not in season, the canned or frozen version has got to be milder. I’m no longer the macho type who has to eat crazy shit or blisteringly spicy food to prove himself, but I was curious. So I got it.

The sticky rice pudding and coconut were delightful. Mixed in was the pulp with a flavor that, if I hadn’t have been warned so much, I wouldn’t have shied away from. I kept tasting until I could describe it. The taste and smell of onions cooked mushy, I finally decided, at which point I retreated to my Vietnamese coffee and let the sweetened condensed milk riunse my palette.

Like the first time I ate alligator, it wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t too tasty either. I’ll try it again, but when I can get some that is, well, tastier. As we left, I heard the waitress explaining durian to the table next to us. I get the feeling its something she’s going to do a lot.