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| I'm no stranger to weighing in on issues I know little about. This article from Smithsonian is a prime example. A Search for the World’s Best Durian, the Divisive Fruit That’s Prized—and Reviled  Devotees of the crop journey to a Malaysian island to find the most fragrant and tasty specimens I've heard of durian before. I even incorporated them into a short story at one point. But I've never been to the places where they're common; I don't think I've ever seen one outside of a picture; and I've certainly never experienced the smell or taste. Once you actually taste and smell a ripe durian, the Southeast Asian fruit best known for its penetrating odor, you will understand what all the fuss is about—and why it’s banned from some public spaces throughout the region. I have a desire for new experiences; I'm just not sure that particular experience is one I want to have. “It has something we call hong,” a sudden smell—in this case, the aroma of “bad breath and butane gas,” said Wong Peng Ho, a Malaysian Chinese doctor and durian fanatic, as we shared a particularly pungent fruit on the Malaysian island of Penang, just off the country’s west coast. “You know how when you smell butane and you know it’s not good, but you want to continue sniffing anyway? That’s hong.” On the other hand, I do have intimate familiarity with the smell of butane, and I don't find it repulsive. Not that I want to go huffing it or anything; it's just not something I care about, unless it's somehow filling the entire house, in which case the only thing I'd care about is getting out before a spark ignites. True durian aficionados don’t just accept extreme flavors; they celebrate, savor, even exult in them. The late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain once said of its aroma, “Try leaving cheese or a dead body out in the sun and you’re in the same neighborhood as durian.” Now, I do have to wonder if there's a cultural component to the varied reactions. In the West, we don't have a lot of super-pungent foods. Limburger cheese is one classic example, but people enjoy that (and I don't mind it). Another is Hákarl, which I'm really not interested in attempting.Almost all desirable durian, at least in Malaysia, has fermented to the point that it has a slight or strong taste of alcohol. Hm. Maybe I could be persuaded, after all. After a few nights of aimless wandering and random tasting, I realized something important: Unlike local people, who have had durian wisdom passed down to them by their friends and relatives, I desperately needed a guide, someone who could help me decipher this array of very strange fruit. In search of this knowledge, I came across a distinct breed of sojourners—fruit travelers—who crisscross the earth in search of just-off-the-tree, perfectly ripe produce. I can understand that. It's like going to France and being completely on your own with wine-tasting. You can do it; you might even enjoy it; but there's nothing like local guides telling you maybe-bullshit stories about the history and culture. For Gasik, now 36, it all started 16 years ago, while she was working at what she describes as a hippie festival in the northwestern United States. She smelled something strange in the campsites and outdoor classrooms of the event. She asked around. She sniffed. She asked around some more. Finally, an older man told her that she was smelling durian, a magical fruit from Southeast Asia. A superfood. The healthiest thing in the world. “If you eat it, you will get addicted to it,” he told her. “It elevates your spirit, opens your chakras. Durian will change your life.” He was right about the addiction. Everything else there is, like I said, obvious bullshit. There's a great deal more at the article. My favorite bit is the photo with a "No Durians Allowed" sign, featuring the usual circle/slash over an all-black spiky ball with a short stem. Just to be clear here, I'm not ragging on anyone's culture or traditions. I find the whole thing fascinating. And yeah, if I'm ever in the right area, I might even give it a shot. |
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