Durian...

There is nothing like the fresh fruits and vegetables we have been eating since our arrival. Grayson eats at least two whole watermelons each week, pineapple is abundant and cheap, plus, we've found some new things that we like - mangosteens for example. Last week, Blaine had a customer cut bananas fresh from a tree along with pomelos. I mean really! Who comes home with fresh bananas and huge pomelos? MY HUSBAND!

But, there is a fruit that we were warned about...the durian. Our culture trainer talked to Blaine and I about it - and the kids, too - before we even left the States! He even brought a durian to Blaine's office, but the kids were not brave enough to try it! Although, there were a few brave souls in the office who broke it open and had a taste! And then continued to taste it for the next few days - maybe even weeks - as the durian burps are something that the taster cannot get rid of.

So what is durian? Well, here's a picture I snapped in the local grocery store:

Durian - Lots of durian!

It's this round/oblong fruit with spikes on the outside of it. And when you open it up - there is a most foul odor! (It is banned at most of the nicer hotels here! And I heard an ad on the radio telling listeners how to get the smell out of their refrigerators!) Here's a good quote about this Asian delicacy:

The durian's smell is its outstanding feature - it is pungent, a bit like a clogged drain or rotten eggs. - Financial Express

Yum! Makes you want to dig right in! And if you search the internet there are so many awesome quotes about durian:

It's been likened to rotting onions, unwashed socks and even carrion in custard, but the most accurate description by far is that of a sewer full of rotting pineapple. - BBC

I believe Blaine said it was like eating a Funyon milkshake made from warm sour milk.  Blech!

But, I can't help but be amazed at how durian is EVERYWHERE!!

Durian Juice

We've decided that even vodka couldn't help durian - and vodka helps a lot of things!

The Durian Cottage - A Haven for Durian Lovers

Really! Anthony Bourdain says this about eating it: "Your breath will smell as if it you'd been French-kissing your dead grandmother." Do I need a whole store dedicated to providing me with this experience?!

Durian Jam

Ah, jam...no better way to ruin a perfectly good peanut butter sandwich than to slather durian jam on it!

So, no, we have not jumped on the durian bandwagon. In fact, I continue to laugh at this fruit and will probably NEVER give this one a try! But, for my friends back in Iowa...the little Asian market on the Coralville strip carries it...and if you want to give it a try - go for it! Invite your worst enemy over for dessert (to be served outside) and be sure to give him/her the first bite!! Then just sit back and laugh!!!