Durian brings me back to my childhood days way back in the 80's. I vividly remember tailing my parents, as they shopped for durians when in season. Really, shopping for durians was a feast for the senses.
The night was hot and humid, but we would make our way to Ban Hock Wharf in Kuching. As soon as you stepped into the night, you could smell the pungent odour of the durian in the air. Under the dim bulb lightings, you could see piles and piles of thorny green balls on display.
"Mari, mari, mari! Pilih, pilih, pilih!! Satu ringgit satu!" the vendors would call on top of their voices.
The crowd hovered over the piles, looking for the best durians at the best prices.
Then there is the art of choosing durians. I saw people picking up a fruit and then attempting to sniff through the thick husk. After sniffing, they would shake the fruit close to their ears, attempting to listen to the movement of blobs of flesh inside. Lol. I do not know how effective this method is. Or do people just do it because everyone else does it?
Nowadays, when you buy durians, the vendors will just take out a huge plastic bag to bag the durians. In the past, upon buying the durians, the fruits were then tied up in a bundle using a piece of raffia string. Hence, it is not uncommon to see vendors slipping bunches of raffia on their belts.
Another thing that I remember is huge family gatherings at my grandparents' to eat durians. We would sit in a big circle, with old newspapers lining the floor. Somone got ready a huge plastic bag for the husk and seeds. Everyone would sit cross-legged on the floor, while the elderly were given the honour of sitting on wooden stools. Dad or Uncle or my late Grandfather would then pry open durian after durian.
Everyone anticipated the opening of a fruit, keeping their fingers crossed that the flesh inside would be perfect, and free from pests. Sometimes, you can even see the little grubs, nestling comfortably in the midst of the custardy flesh!
Gosh, the good old days! So much laughter and merriment amidst us durian lovers. Of course, there will be a few in the family who dislike the fruit. My Youngest Aunt and my cousin and my bro dislike the fruit, even till today! They will stay quietly at the sidelines, minding their own business, cringing and frowning when invited to sample the stinky durian.
I know of a friend who eats durians using a spoon. She doesn't want the strong odour to linger on her fingers. To me, the best way of enjoying the durian is to eat with my hands. Dig your fingers onto the soft blob of durian flesh. Lick your fingers when you finish, and ask for more!!! ;p
Anyway, durian aficianados have a way to remove the bad smell from your hands. What they do is that they wash their hands using the durian shell. Scoop up some water with the shell and pour it on your hands and the smell will disappear like magic! Lol. Well, I never believed it, because I'd tried it but the smell lingered on my hand.
Durian is considered a "heaty" fruit. Eating too much will give you sore throat and the works. Hence, to reduce the "heatiness", drink some salt water from the durian shell. For me, the taste of salt water in a durian shell is quite yum. There's a bit of durian taste in it and so it's really quite unique.
Well, durian, the monarch of all fruits, and one of my favourite fruits. I can never resist eating durians when they are in season. ;)
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