Durian (aka: randompost)

[furtech]

Not much to post about beyond Rondo being adorable, finishing projects and a continuing massive spring-cleaning. Today I did have an opportunity to try something interesting: a Durian milkshake.
Durian is known in S.E. Asia as "the king of fruits". Anthony Burgess likened durian to eating custard in a latrine. The fruit is famous for having a stench like a pile of old diapers or rotting flesh. But the taste is said to be glorius! The menu at a Vietnamese restaurant listed a durian milkshake: curious, I gave it a whirl. I figured that at least this was less daunting than the actual fruit and would allow me to get some idea of what the taste was like.

Not bad! I had a hard time likening the flavor to something familiar: it was fun trying something that tasted good and yet had no equivalent in my experience. Kind of like describing papaya to someone who's never had it before. The best way I came up with was a cross between a peach and guava (but smoother, without any citrus-bite). Or the flavor of sugarcane mixed with a peach.

Oddly, I couldn't detect any of the infamous smell associated with the fruit; however, my dining mate could sure smell it! She remarked after a few minutes that she was suddenly starting to smell the nasty, rotting-something smell as time went on. I still couldn't smell anything beyond the slightly fragrant scent of the milkshake. Dunno if it's something that Asians can't detect (or don't find unpleasant or a male-female thing or just having a really sensative nose). I know there are certain o-koko that stink yet are pretty tasty.

So at least in milkshake form, durian is good enough to order again...

Comments

[spunkywulf.livejournal.com]

I'm asian, and WHOOBOY can I detect that durian-stench! My dad loves them; in my youth we would often go to Chinatown to stock up on groceries during the weekends, and my dad would often bring home a fresh durian. YOU CAN CLEAR THE HOUSE WITH THAT THING. He used to chase me around the house with a fresh piece of the stinking fruit, just to watch me scream and run like some incredible pansy. But I love that man. Even if he is a big stinker.

I'm sorely going to miss you at FC. There's a lot of people I want to see there, but there was a very small select handful that I HAD to see, with you at the top of that list. I was really looking forward to spending time with you again, having a dinner or two, and just all-around chatting and such. So when my budgeting plans fell through I went all Darth Vader NNNooooooOOoooo :(

[furtech.livejournal.com]

When I went googling for pics, I ran into a LOT of stories/blogs about people curious about "the king of fruits" and trying them. All of them are funny! And no-one looks like they're enjoying the experience!

One site told of a friend who bought one at the beginning of a shopping trip...and needing to drive with all windows open and their heads outside to breathe through the stench that had built up in the car!

Gonna miss you a TON too! Especially without the Anthrocon booster visit! Totally admire your fortitude for doing the correct thing, tho'. Take care! We will sniff a smelly fanboy in your name!

[spunkywulf.livejournal.com]

Hahahah make sure you get up on the wrong foot and do the bad thing for me, too ;) Enjoy yourself and have a good time, and have a bite of sushi for me! If there are photo ops, or new special awesome suits you're working on, I wanna see!