Smelliest fruit in the world
There are so many adjectives to describe food. All our senses work synergistically to make food an "experience". For connoisseurs like me, food is an emotion and not just a means to sustain life. Also, food is the greatest healer and I fully abide by the words of Hippocrates, " Food thy medicine, medicine thy food. "
Out of the five senses, smell plays the (2 nd most?) important role in perceiving the food (or eyes is 2nd?) . It's said that half of our appetite gets satiated by smelling the food alone. The flavor of food entices us like nothing else, but then there are offensive smells too. Think of cabbage, cauliflower and other crucifers, members of the Brassicaceae family like radish, etc. Fruits like melon and jackfruit emit a horrendous smell when overripe, while these very same fruits have the power to hypnotise us with their enchanting flavours, when aptly ripe.
The fruit with the most notorious smell happens to be durian, also known as the king of fruits. Native to South East Asia, it's very popular in Malaysia especially, as they are the largest producers . For those who haven't heard of it, it's jackfruits's smellier and spikier cousin.
Durian is so widely cultivated and sold in Malaysia, that every single place has a warning regarding it. Be it public transport or a hotel, cafe or a random shop, you will find signs that prohibits carrying durian.
So the people came up with Durian experience centres, where you can buy, cut it up and eat, without getting judged. They also provide you gloves, so that they don't make your hands sticky.
I was fortunate enough to try it. It was pretty expensive, and husband remarked that a ripe jackfruit from Bengal is way more delicious! Three pods cost us 30MYR, equivalent to 600 INR!
Anyways, it's all about experience and yeah it does smell weird!
I am participating in #BlogchatterA2Z
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
in collaboration with Mister Tikku.
21 comments
You seem to be a total foodie. I don;t think I would dare to taste it if it smelled too much. I have a very sharp sense of smell and I am allergic to strong smells. I cannot stand the smell of tipe jackfruit. I am sure Durian must be stronger.
ReplyDeleteI once tried durian in Penang—its pungent aroma was overwhelming, yet the creamy texture intrigued me. Not my favorite, but it's an unforgettable experience! Thanks for sharing your adventure.
ReplyDeleteI have tasted it when in Indonesia. Well thanks but no thanks ! You are right about the fruit
ReplyDeleteI have heard about this but not tasted it. Also I love your candid expressions and thoughts!
ReplyDeleteI wondered what the fruit was until I found it to be durian. I think I would just go for the experience and then make my decision. I liked your pix a lot.
ReplyDeleteI’ve heard about the fruit, but I had no idea its smell could be that powerful! 😅 You’re definitely brave for giving it a try. Beautiful pictures, and thank you for sharing this fun experience with us!
ReplyDeleteReally it looks like jackfruit, I was looking at the pics for quite some time just to understand what exactly it is and at first glance it gave me the look that is some different version of jackfruit. Well deao I love jackfruit ... its just yum
ReplyDeleteI never heard about this fruit. It's a new one to try when I will get a chance.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of making a common indigenous fruit famous or in this case infamous and then opening up experience centres to harvest the profits! Quite brilliant , same goes for Kopi Luwak!
ReplyDeleteLoved reading this! Durian’s been on my food curiosity list for ages and your take made it feel super real. Totally with you, sometimes it’s not about loving the taste, just the experience. Also, that price tag... whew!
ReplyDeleteI haven't tasted it but when I visited singapore I saw many signs that prohibited carrying one.
ReplyDeleteI tried durian drink in Thailand, but I did not like the taste and the smell. It's so pungent. Good you tried the fruit; :) I hope you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI always love how you bring new things through your blog. I haven’t known about this fruit
ReplyDeleteI tried have durian once but just could not tolerate the smell. Your husband is right. The ripe jackfruit from Bengal is better.
ReplyDeleteThat’s so true. Sometimes the smell of food makes us hungry, but then there are foods like durian with a strong smell that’s hard to handle. When I first saw durian here in Oman, I tried to eat it, but the smell was just too much for me. I really liked how you said food is more than just eating, it’s like an emotion and can even heal us.
ReplyDelete- Anjali Tripathi/Messymom
Haha! I know exactly how you feel. And your husband is right, I didn't find it super tasty as advertised.
ReplyDeleteThe post perfectly captures how durian can be both adored and despised. Well done on breaking down those sharp flavor descriptions.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fan of ripe jackfruit so I prefer staying away from Durian. That said, loved the concept of no judgement experience centres. Great marketing.
ReplyDeleteSorry but I'll pass. I can't even stand the smell of jackfruit so it's smelly cousin better keep it's stink away for me, far far away!
ReplyDeleteWow, durian really lives up to its reputation, huh? 😂 Love how you described the whole smell vs. flavor experience — makes me curious to try it someday, even if just for the story!
ReplyDeleteI don't even life the jackfruit! Trying Durian is not even in imagination
ReplyDelete