I found an Asian Market and they have Durian. I am going to buy one today. What should I expect??? I have read good, bad, ugly and smelly stories. I have even seen Shazzie "get it on" with one on You Tube. What have been your experiences for the first time you tried one?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2008 06:18PM by bananablossom.

my one piece of advice is bring it home in the trunk of your car/bed or your truck etc. I made the mistake of carrying mine home in the cab of my truck and the smell stayed for 4-5 days.

I loved the taste though.

Aloha Nui Loa,

Greg

A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices. - William James

There is no pill that can be swallowed,
There is no guru, that can be followed, - Michael Franti (Pray For Grace)

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. - Albert Camus

Congratulations!!!!

Make sure you have somewhere to throw the scraps when you are done. Do NOT leave them in your house.

If it's frozen, it usually takes a good 24 hours to defrost. Have a sharp knife to cut, and make sure you have something to protect yourself from the spikes, because you can get some nasty cuts on your fingers, otherwise. I use a ratty old kitchen towel just to steady the durian while I cut, and that works fine.

Finally... do NOT expect ANYTHING from the taste. It is incredibly complex. Don't give up after just one taste, either--take time to appreciate the different layers in smell, texture, flavor. Appreciate the sweet high notes, the juiciness, the rich creaminess, the bitterness--enjoy it all, be open to everything it has to offer.

When selecting a durian, I have found the larger ones are best. Pick one with no cracks, with thick stems, and the more the compartments look like they're bulging, the more flesh there is inside.

Since I started, I have been eating at least 1/2 durian every day for two months. It has been nothing short of a joyous, fantastic love affair. No food on earth satisfies me more. I have no desire to stop, but I am quitting for a week, just to see if they are the cause of some weight gain (they are very calorie-rich).

GOOD LUCK!!!! HAPPY EATING!!!! (All caps from a rabid durian enthusiast!)

On a scale of 10, how smelly is durian? 0 being nice, 10 being poohy?

I can only get frozen mornthangs, and they're 1-2. They have a slight fragrance, but it's light and sweet. My roommate always has his friends watch me cut durians for some kind of sport, and there was only one occasion where one guy said, "It kind of smells like eggs." IMO, eggs are far worse, and have a nasty stench that lingers.

How ripe they are also has to do with the smell--the variety I get are picked from the tree and frozen immediately. Fresh, I'd imagine, would smell way better (maybe more pungent), and once they begin to crack, the smell really gets out. I heard some people in Thailand like to wait until the flesh ferments--I've tried letting a few sit out for a few days, and the taste gets more "perfumey," but still no drop-dead odor comes out.

Just NEVER leave them in the garbage to rot. THAT'S when they begin to stink. I did that with my first durian, and the apartment smelled very interesting for the next day or two, incense and fermented fruit.

Greg, you crack me up!

I've never had durian. I'll have to see where I can find one. How expensive are they usually?

I've watched many videos on You Tube about people eating their first one and it's always kinda funny. How nutritious are they?

Does how they smell/taste make a difference according to how you usually eat? I mean, does a long term raw foodist think it smells and tastes sweeter than a SAD eater would, because of their diets and body reactions?