I’ll be honest. Asians can eat some weird stuff. I would know, since I find myself in that camp frequently. I like to pride myself in my gustatory liberty. I’m a food liberal, and I’m proud. I try to acquire tastes that I don’t have. (Recent conquest: olives. Still needs work: dill pickles.) I’m pretty much game for trying anything. So, I thought it was time to practice what I preach. Durians.
Now, for many people who have traveled to East and Southeast Asia, these are known as the “stinky spiky fruits.” They are big, weighing up to 7 pounds. They have been known to kill unfortunate souls standing under the wrong tree at the wrong time. But most notoriously, they are known for the smell. At the cost of a stiff penalty, this fruit is often forbidden from being brought into hotels, buses, airplanes, or other public areas. There are signs with a picture of a durian and a circle with an X through it. When you smell it, you will know it. They are pungent, and a source of instant repulsion by those who are not accustomed to it.
The smell, up to this point, has kept me from getting close enough to eat this fruit. Reactions towards durians are polarized. Some salivate at the mere mention, while others must suppress their gag reflex. I thought it time to test my resolve. This is a new city. It is a new place and a new time in my life. My bold friends joined this endeavor, and for that, I am proud.
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