Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward
nytimes.com
nytimes.com
This author comes off as a deeply uncultured American giving a generic impression of a drunken 3-5 day visit to SEA. There are so many errors in this article it's unreal.
Jackfruit does not have a "jagged sheath" (that's durian).
Dragon fruit is only mushy when it's badly bruised or overripe, and there are other varieties that are sweeter and richer than the white variety.
Durian does not "stink of death".
Salak are normally imported from Indonesia, as far as I know. Maybe the author is thinking of salacca wallichiana, which is related but tastes very different?
Describing a langsat as a "demure cousin" of the lychee is a totally meaningless way of saying that they belong to the same order of plants.
Also dragon fruit is a 'bland mush'? I've must have been eating the wrong fruit. There's also a red dragon fruit which is a little tastier.
There are also many varieties of passion fruit, some of which are very sweet. One time I had a batch of an heirloom variety of yellow passion fruit from a small farm in the provinces and it really was unlike anything I've ever had since.
Durian smell is more than disgusting to me - but sometimes I do enjoy eating it. Often by holding my breath to avoid inhaling it.
(I've tried durian in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand to try to like them. I have failed. There is just no divorcing the taste from the stench.)
What "majority" do you speak of?
The "majority" of locals in Singapore, at least, do not think the smell is unpalatable.
Locals just recognize that it is a strong, potent smell, that is difficult to get rid of, that lingers for ages, that is detectable even at trace concentrations. So, practically, everyone understands that durians shouldn't be in public transport or hotels.
Also the puzzling thing is the stark disparity of the perception of the smell between different people. That doesn't happen to, say, seeing. This is akin to having a dress where half the people says it's black while the rest say it's white.
I've never understood what's even stinky about durian, it just has its own odor like any other fruit, nothing deserving special treatment media give it, must be some durian wholesalers conspiracy trying to make it more interesting than it actually is
Me too, more so than for other fruits. Maybe that has to do with all the water content.
In some countries where the fruit grows you aren't allowed to eat it in public in enclosed spaces, such as public transportation.
Some people hate the smell of roses. My wife can't stand the smell of honeysuckles but to me its one of the most pleasant smells in the world. Perhaps Durian smells good to some people. Its obviously got a controversial fragrance that many people find unpleasant. Its hardly a modern day media conspiracy.
To me, dragon fruit flesh is similar to that of Asian pears, firm, crisp, sweet and refreshing. The tiny black seeds are akin to strawberry seeds in that they add to the texture but are otherwise unnoticeable.
I had my first taste of a dragon fruit a couple of years ago on a Cathay Pacific flight (amazing inflight meals btw) and was like where have you been my whole life. I knew I had to get some when I returned to the US. I quickly learned that most grocery stores in US do carry them... for about $6 per lb. They’re not cheap treats.
It does stink to some (many?) people, much the same way some people think that cilantro tastes like soap. Which is why you see "no durian" stickers in public places throughout Asia.
I might indeed make some assumptions about smell. Though having smelled both durian and rotting carcasses on multiple occasions, I find it unlikely that there are people that would find durian as repulsive as rotting meat. The smell of death literally turns your stomach (and makes you vomit in extreme cases). I've never heard someone throwing up from the smell of durian.
We all know when we see hyperbole, but we learned even less from the terce "refutal". That was my point, as well as "nitpicking".
Sounds like you're the one spreading lies. Durian is without a doubt, the smelliest, nastiest fruit I have ever had the displeasure of ever smelling or eating in my life. My wife is from SEA and literally laughed out loud when I showed her your post. Check yourself before you try to check others.
I'm sure there are differences in how people perceive durian, among other foods. Most Cambodians don't have a particular aversion to durian though and it's definitely popular at the market, but sometimes you see it prohibited in touristy guesthouses and restaurants.
My tone was too flippant because I found the article's tone annoying and misleading. I get it, hyperbole, but when most of the people reading it have no familiarity with these fruits it's going to put them off trying.
Durian's spikes are pointier, but you can call both of them jagged.
I once went to a durian place in Malaysia. As we approached (they hadn't told me where we were going, it was a surprise), my first thought from the smell was that perhaps there was an animal dead off the side of the road.
Tasty though.
I don't know when the branding changed but I'm willing to bet some form of biopiracy was involved in the trade.
Mangosteen is so far from its depiction---"to eat a pile of mangosteens is an exercise in disappointment"---that I wonder what kind of pile the author ate. In the US, imported mangosteens can run $20 a pound, so getting a few bad ones would be a disappointment. I suppose many vendors would issue a refund for the bad ones. But in Thailand a pile of mangosteens is so cheap that you wouldn't bother. They are exquisite, almost the fruit equivalent of ice cream (they taste better chilled). It's no wonder they call it the queen of fruits.
Durian likewise deserves its designation as king of fruits. Most people, myself included, are repulsed on the first encounter. But if you can get over the initial shock, you will enjoy the most flavorful fruit with custard-like texture. Its flavor can be described as a combination of many other fruit flavors with a complexity only matched by good coffee and dark chocolate.
Jackfruit is cheap and abundant in Mexican and Asian supermarkets in the US. The trouble is peeling and finishing a whole one. Some stores may sell wrapped pieces if you just want a taste. But if you have some guests and time to work with gloves and a knife, eating a whole jackfruit is a memorable experience.
If you can pick your own, though, they're in my experience pretty avoidable: go for ones that are purple, not black, and avoid any that have traces of yellow leaking from the top.
A lot of people have heard by now that there are many interesting types of bananas overseas, but they don't travel well enough to reach other countries. The same goes for other fruits. I remember once reading about a durian that has nearly none of the repulsive flavours, but they just aren't common enough to send away from local markets (I think it was in Malaysia).
On the other hand though some fruits freeze decently well, durian is one of those. Especially if you're cooking with it the peeled pieces are great.
As for the seeds I agree. It's like eating kiwi seeds.
Mangosteen is great! No idea why the author had so much hate.
Durian though ... well I've tried it about 7-8 times and I get that it "tastes" good but I still don't get it. For example in Singapore there is a chain of cream puff stores that carry durian and vanilla cream puffs. To my "unrefined" palette they taste 95% the same but one stinks so if I was to go again I'd choose the vanilla that doesn't stink vs the durian that does. I'm sure I'll try them again but I suspect my reaction will be the same. Tastes fine (like vanilla custard) but why put up with the stink when I can just have vanilla custard.
That said, last summer when I was in Malaysia was the first time the smell started not being so repelling so (a) I'm getting used to it (b) they were in season (c) like the cat virus they've reprogramed my brain :P
Our experience is vastly different!
While not a fan of dragon fruit, I do eat it relatively often as my wife loves it. We usually buy pre-peeled pack at the super market when we visit.
For me it is definitely sweet. Not 'extremely' but it's definitely sweeter than a good banana or royal grape. Definitely not bland at all. I don't think I've had a non-sweet version in any of the countries you listed.
Edit: I just had a thought. I always eat Purple dragon fruit, not the white one. Maybe that's the difference.
Anyway, I'll keep trying dragon fruit hoping for a sweet one.
I think at the moment my favorite fruit I've had in SE Asia is cherimoya and I'm surprised they are not way more popular as they are so dang delicious! It's like someone made an apple + orange creamsicle fruit
It's one of my wifes favourite fruits, but we can't find good one in Singapore.
To choose a dragonfruit, pick the ones where the "leaves"/"tips" aren't dried out, feel heavy/full and slightly firm.
There are different places you can get durian puffs where the filling is basically pure durian. Of course, unless you love durian you're not going to appreciate them.
Keep in mind that there are over 200 varieties of Durian - some are even red inside, some sweet, some more pungent than others, different notes and textures. The best for me is Musang King variety in Malaysia, esp. when they get a slight alcohol after taste.
I've been trying to find a good one in the states, so far no luck. I've only tried ones with the red flesh. The ones I had weren't bad, they were just flavorless. Not sweet at all. Kind of refreshing, but nothing special.
Instead, it's simply that they don't transport well. Most tropical fruit available in the West are picked raw, kept refrigerated and chemically ripened on arrival, but this isn't possible for most of the fruit listed, certainly not mangosteens or langsat/duku.
In a trip to central Washington, I bought a flat of Pluots (plum/apricot hybrids), and they were one of the most profound things I have ever eaten. So sweet and juicy, they almost burst like water balloons when you took a bite.
Less than four hours away from where they are grown, I have yet to find any varieties with the same magic available in grocery stores. They good ones are simply too delicate and too short lived.
It ends up being worth the trip every year to go when they are in season.
Do you mean pawpaw, or custard apple (aka sugar apple in the US)?
To eat cut in half and eat with a spoon. So good.
I planted a three variety pack 5ish years ago and got a lot last year. Safely a late freeze mostly got them this year
It's called custard apple in my country. We call papaya, pawpaw.
Any discussion of fruit needs to use their botanical names since they're called different things in different places.
Downside; they all contain annonacin, which may cause Parkinsons. [1]
I really appreciate your contribution. Thanks.
Apparently they don't travel or keep well, so supermarkets almost never stock them.
Try it. You won't regret it.
More profound to me are the European gage plums and esp the lovely yellow mirabelles. I also planted medlars and can’t seem to find anyone interested. Medlar Jam is sublime.
I made a medlar sorbet once, which was good but not great. But the single best scientific paper I have ever read is about the medlar. I happened across it on the new periodicals table at my college library, and had never seen anything like it. After reading it, I spent a long time thinking it might be satire, and that the fruit didn't actually exist. It was only years later that I finally had one. Summary and details of the paper here: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4255177. Send me email if you'd like a copy and can't find access online.
[0] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChsbD6Clp-ZPqKwXJR3V7DQ
In the Indian subcontinent a common phrase is "the jackfruit is still on the tree and you've already put oil on your lips/mustache" meaning don't count your chickens before the eggs have hatched.
Central America has all kinds of things that I never see here, eg. canistel or black sapote, as well as variants of mango, corn, and banana that don't sell in the US.
The cheaper varieties of mangoes are similar to what Americans are familiar with, but much more consistent. Mangoes grow so readily here that in season I can get a kilo for $0.25 and they're always perfectly ripe. There is a more expensive variety that is purely sweet and has a more gelatinous texture, and it feels "decadent" in the same way that a rich chocolate cake does.
The bananas are way better, especially some of the smaller varieties that have a thicker consistency. There are cart vendors everywhere here that grill those small bananas and sell them on sticks.
And then there are many others in the markets, a lot of which don't have common names in English but all of them are great really. It's so cheap that in my diet I eat fruit instead of rice or bread as a carbohydrate source. Even most imported fruits are pretty reasonably priced, so you can still easily find things like apples, champagne grapes, cherries, etc.
Dragonfruit exists mostly as a frozen smoothie ingredient, although you can get it seasonally as well.
Lychee is somewhat available seasonally, longan never or almost never.
And I've never seen a Pomelo outside of SE Asia.
I bought one a few years ago and was disappointed at the small amount of grapefruit-ish flesh, not realising how people actually eat them (candied peel and pith) in parts of Asia.
How it's eaten does seem to vary by country. I've never tried the pith either, but would like to sometime!
There are only 50 odd trees in the country, near Darwin, so the fruit cost a mint by the time they are flow to Melbourne and Sydney. They're good. The consensus is better than the Thai ones, but I hang around Malaysians, who have a low opinion of Thai durians.
Around 1980, there was talk of growing tropical fruit in Northern Australia. Our seasons are out of phase with Asia's, so that would have made a lot of sense. I don't know why it didn't happen.
There is one problem that the article doesn't mention: people who haven't been to Southeast Asia tend to mistake the durian smell for a gas leak, and call the fire brigade. You have to be careful where you take them in the west.
Star fruit are one of my favorites. Kind of a crunchy, tart apple flavor.
I love durian but the smell can be overpowering. I left a few in my car for an afternoon, parked in an underground garage, to bring to my family after work. I had to drive with the windows down for 2 weeks.
Sad I missed the fruit market though, I bet they have a massive variety of banana cultivars. I tried a couple I'd never had before when over there.
I spent 6 weeks traveling around Southeast Asia (Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam), including several days in Bangkok.
I ate a metric ton of durian, jackfruit (my favourite), mangostein, lychie, and so forth.
I never noted any negative durian odour, and I just assumed that "it must always be fresh in Southeast Asia", and any reports are based on stale or older fruit after it's travelled internationally...
As an example, once made a cup of durian coffee in a different room on a different floor entirely and someone stormed out of the building because of the odor. I didn't mention that I made it before that happened, so it wasn't just an exaggerated response. Nobody else could smell it. Not even I could smell anything beyond just plain old coffee.
I'm curious about the phrasing here; as far as I can see, that's what "being fussy" means.
This can't be uncommon, given the prevalence of rules against Durian consumption in enclosed public spaces in many places in the far east.
Love me some mangostein, lychie, rambutan or snake-fruit though.
Durian, to me, tastes like garlic soaked in petrol (“gas” for the Yanks).
Hotels and public transport in Thailand don't ban it for no reason.
The smell still gets everywhere, and lingers for a bit.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/aversion-...
I quite like it, especially with dairy, but it seems to upset my stomach (durian burps aren't great).
https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%82%E0...
Actually, Durain is not that hard to process, a chopstick or a screwdriver can do the job easily, can't be harder than opening a whole Jamón.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/22/europe/durian-germany-evacuat...
That's what I've always associated the smell of durian with --- not stinking or rotting as others often say, but "gas leak". Not surprisingly, the same compound is responsible for both: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanethiol
As for me, while there's certain fruit I do like a lot, I'm far less willing to put in the effort and often I just don't bother.
my favorite of exotic fruit is dragon fruit - looks nice, easy to consume with spoon, good flavor
Aussies are trying this bullshit right now with a Bolivian fruit called achachairu. See how this entire article calls it a made up name. And this is supposed to be a news website: https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2014-06-19/gallery-achacha...
Jackfruit is amazing too though. It's used a lot as a "meat" substitute. For example, jackfruit curry is delicious, nutritious and hearty.
Jackfruit and palm fruit in curries are some of my favorites.
Mercury is not capitalized here, which makes a huge difference. In assuming astrological Mercury, not somehow the element?
It's been decades since mercury thermometers were common for the average person. We'll need to update our idioms!
I thought perhaps Thai farmers were also heeding Mercury alignment or retrograde to achieve a certain fruiting outcome (gravity from Mercury would be negligible compared to our Moon).