Friday, December 14, 2012

Pandora's Box

I have opened Pandora's Box in the form of a puff pastry. During my research of SE Asia I kept coming across a fruit called a durian. Apparently it is regarded as the "king of fruits" over here and due to its scent, you are not allowed to carry it on public transportation. But people love the taste and they are sold on almost every street corner.

I did not take this picture but I always appreciate using money to show size

A little intimidated by the fruit as a whole, I waited until I saw them offered in a more manageable presentation- a puff pastry. Advertised as "Just One Bite" I thought it would be the perfect way to sample durian without any major commitments. 


Aren't they cute? Just like the ones you get with pho. Except they taste like toe fungus. Rotten, pudding-like toe fungus. Fortunately I was smart enough to not eat this in one bite and it took all my strength not to spit out what I had already put in my mouth. The rest went in the garbage can.

Usually you eat bad things and you move on. No big deal. But durian is a different beast. With that one tiny little bite, I unleashed a durian sensor that picks up the smell everywhere. Walking down the street the scent leaks out of uncut durians hanging from the stalls. Biking down the road the smell follows you like a dead skunk. Even in a car the durian can penetrate the windows. 

If you come across a durian, I do encourage you to try it. You may be one of those rare people who come to love it above all other fruits. But beware that once you try it, there is no escaping the durian.

-Kim

6 comments:

  1. Kim this sounds terrible. I'm sorry the Durian found its way into your life.

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  2. Blog is awesome so far. Excellent reading, and I'm quite jealous.

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  3. On belhalf of the elves Ashley left behind, we expect pictures, and amusing anecdotes.

    Also, Fitbit?

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  4. OMG! that's another weird fruit I like too. Lots of my friends dislike it though. Glad that at least you tried. :)

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  5. The smell of that fruit has haunted me since my time in SE Asia. Absolutely horrible smell - so horrible, in fact, that I didn't once try it. Way to be brave and give it a try!

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  6. I'll be sure to order some in for when you get home so as to make sure you remember every bit of your trip.

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