Ken Boddie

7 years ago · 2 min. reading time · ~10 ·

Blogging
>
Ken blog
>
Durian Heaven or Hell?

Durian Heaven or Hell?

719bdf36.jpg

Driving down a 'jalan tikus' (back street) in Medan we were suddenly confronted by a sea of green spiky oval balls, being enthusiastically ripped open by a gang of intense and singleminded 'tukang lepas', with seriously sharp steel blades, to reveal the creamy white contents inside.  Anywhere else the above scene may have been misinterpreted as a gang fight about to erupt.

The durian (or jackfruit) is a much sought after 'delicacy', greatly loved by the Indonesians (and indeed throughout Asia) for its unique taste, described by some as like "garlic and caramel, blended into whipped cream".  But to the wary 'Orang Belanda' like myself, its taste is totally masked by its pungently eye-watering malodorous stink, not dissimilar (I imagine) to a witches brew of sewage, overripe cheese, rotting flesh and vomit.


e736230e.jpg

It has been described by some as "tastes like heaven and smells like hell" but, for me, both the taste and smell are the antithesis of nirvana.  Suffice it to say that this pungent fruit, most intensely 'on the nose' when at its ripest, is unconditionally banned from many hotels and airlines throughout South-East Asia. Not even plastic food wrapping can disguise its distinctive, gut stirring aroma, which, if surreptitiously introduced into ducted air conditioning, has an inordinately efficient capability of inducing virtually instant evacuation.

So we pulled up at this local trading establishment, Ucok Durian, and my Indo rellies all piled out of our locally hired minibus with gusto. You see, Ucok Durian, besides preparing and packaging durian for local sale and Indo-wide distribution, has a small 'rumah makan' attached where visitors may sample the goods and wash them down with an assortment of cold beverages. I stopped to take some photos, turned around, and there they were, gone, only to be found a few minutes later devouring the stinky white contents of quartered spike balls.


33acaba9.jpg

63b3366f.jpg













Curiosity eventually got the better of me and I abandoned my camera to complete my culinary education with respect to the do's and don'ts of durian ingestation.  Apparently (and I have it on good authority - from my better half) the trick to preventing the pungent aroma from lingering on your hands is to wash them in the empty skin.  Similarly, to prevent post consumption cheesy vomit breath, and many subsequent hours of fellow human recoil, the consumer drinks water from the fruitless skin when the feasting is over.  


d94075b7.jpg

All I can suggest is "Don't knock it if you ain't tried it". I have and will!

Over to you! 

So who among you will cast aside caution and relish in the flavour of heaven, or indeed tipple the taste of hell? 


...................<<..................>>...................

When not researching the weird or the wonderful, the comical or the cultured, the sinful or the serious, I chase my creative side, the results of which can be seen as selected photographs of my travels on my website at:

http://ken-boddie.squarespace.com

The author of the above, Ken Boddie, besides being a sometime poet and occasional writer, is an enthusiastic photographer, rarely leisure-travelling without his Canon, and loves to interact with other like-minded people with diverse interests.

Ken's three day work week (part time commitment) as a consulting engineer allows him to follow his photography interests, and to plan trips to an ever increasing list of countries and places of scenic beauty and cultural diversity.





Comments

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #36

#45
Remind me not to upset you on social media, Aurorasa. I don't want to end my days drinking my food through a straw. 😨

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #35

#39
So you like durian, Jianlan Li? You belong to a very large club with similar tastes. But yet again, there are a lot of people out there who still think the world's flat. 😂

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #34

#37
But as I keep saying, Aurorasa, "You'll never really know, If you don't give it a go." 😈

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #33

#44
They have to strip once they hit the jungle and supply themselves with shelter, food and water for 21 days while naked.

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #32

#42
I can't even watch those shows. Just like Naked and Afraid- WHY do they HAVE to be naked??? But, they do know what they are signing up for. Agree, you couldn't pay me enough to be on one of those shows.

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #31

#37
oh that's disgusting Aurorasa Sima. There used to be a reality show somewhat similar to that in the States about 10 years ago, does anyone remember the name? They didn't go to the jungle though.

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #30

Thanks for the share Juan Imaz. 👍

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #29

#34
Nice try, Praveen. You almost had me convinced that the durian is a delicacy. 😉

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #28

#31
Please feel free, Michele, to use my photos. I only ask that you credit them to me and that perhaps you mention the distributer, Ucok Durian (pronounced oochock, dooreean). Thanks for the complement.

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #27

#30
Although I am not over enthused, Lada, about durian myself, I am curious that so many Asians love it so much. I would suggest that this is one occasion when you really should form your own opinion on this paradoxical fruit. And there is only one way to do that. 😊

Lada 🏡 Prkic

7 years ago #26

#25
Not always, Ken. My curious nature compels me to try out new things, such as a food I have never tasted before, no matter what others told me about that. But it is not always a good idea. Like my husband says, when something looks like s..t and smell like s..t you don't need to push the finger (or nose) to be sure it's a s..t. But sometimes you'll be surprised! 😲

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #25

#28
Thanks, Netta, for your thoughtful comments.

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #24

#26
Long may your sense of taste and smell, Pascal, remain in blissful ignorance of the doubtful charms of this tropical fruit folly.

Pascal Derrien

7 years ago #23

you live you learn never heard of this before :-) Ken Boddie

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #22

#23
All experiences gratefully received, Lada?

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #21

#22
A wise man knows his limitations, Mohd - or is it the limitations of his stomach and nose? 😄

Lada 🏡 Prkic

7 years ago #20

Welcome back, Ken Boddie! I've read about this fruit and its aroma. Although the taste and smell are the antithesis of nirvana (😷), it is good to experience things like that for which we have knowledge only on the basis of the description. I am always willing to explore new tastes. :-) Lovely pictures and description, as always.

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #19

#19
Hmm well you are the only Uncle I have... so there, I've adopted you. But, I don't think your that much older than me Ken Boddie LOL. Lets just say for the sake of argument, you were a toddler when this niece of yours was born LOL.

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #18

#17
Although the classic durian season is during the wet season, I understand that Ucok Durian in Medan has durian available all year round. Good news for the many regular customers and the many out-of-town visitors. 😋 Bad news for many others such as Dicko. 😷

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #17

#16
Well let me see, Lisa - one, two, three, five, seven - lots and lots. Need to get back to you on that one. 🤔

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #16

#17
"While resting in a sewer?" Ok, it's sounding less appealing to try after reading the comments haha

Paul Walters

7 years ago #15

Ken Boddie six years after moving to Indonesia I still recoil when durian season arrives. !! Sir Richard Attenborough once described it as " Eating delicious and creamy peaches and cream while resting in a sewer "

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #14

#13
I'm great, thanks for asking Uncle Ken Boddie ;-) Hey Nana in the blue hijab is pretty! Just how many nieces do you have? I need to know if I have other distant relatives out there I'm not aware of LOL.

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #13

#8
just goes to show, Sarah, that $10 can buy you a whole world of 'fun'. 😷

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #12

#6
Interesting, Dean-San, that you say "next time". For me it's "once bitten twice shy". 😝

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #11

#5
how's my favourite niece? By the way, Lisa, Nana, in the blue hijab, with her tongue out at the camera, is also my niece.

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #10

#4
But, Mohd, You'll never really know, If you don't give it a go. 😉

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #9

#3
Praise indeed from my favourite word slayer.

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #8

#2
Happy to say, Don, that, on this occasion, I kept my distance well beyond your 12" buffer. Many past experiences with durian have taught me caution.

Ken Boddie

7 years ago #7

#1
I wouldn't wish that stench on my worst enema, Kev. 😝

Sarah Elkins

7 years ago #6

Awesome descriptions & photos here, Ken Boddie. When our boys were 12 & 14, they spent a week in Ann Arbor with my sister. As a treat, she took them to a giant Asian market in Detroit and told them they had a $10 budget to pick a food they've never tried before. The younger one picked up a ripe durian. They brought it back to her condo (first mistake), and opened it up to try it (second mistake). When they each realized it was not to their liking (described as a cross between an onion, honeydew melon, and filthy sock), they double-bagged the fruit and wrapped it in newspaper (third mistake), and put it into the garbage bin in the garage (final mistake). My sister said that a week later, even with the garbage having been dumped just two days after the adventure, the garage still smelled bad enough that she held her breath when entering & exiting. I'll have to share this story with all of them!

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #5

#6
The photos looked like they were out of a magazine! Dean Owen, so beer and durian don't mix well eh?

Dean Owen

7 years ago #4

Ahh Ken-sensei, so good to see you back in one piece and writing again. You ate durian and lived to tell the tale. I will try washing it down with water filled skins next time. The last time I washed it down with beer causing some sort of biological warfare within. You describe the taste well. It is an acquired taste that I will never acquire. I thought durian puffs would be a mellowed version but they too are nasty little WMDs. Seriously good photos! New camera?

Lisa Gallagher

7 years ago #3

Well, well Ken Boddie, this was quite descriptive and well the stink of it all kept me reading and wondering if you were going to try it or not. I say, good for you! Now, I'm not sure I could try something like that but I won't say I wouldn't either. I've been known to try foods others won't go near. I saw Andrew Zimmern try this one of his shows and I remember him dry heaving before he tried it LOL. He liked it after tasting. Thanks for sharing this story, loved it! Love the photos too.

don kerr

7 years ago #2

Urrrpppp. Excuse me. Your description is the closest I ever again want to get to Durian. Exposed to it on one occasion in Toronto. You are correct. I seriously thought something had died. Try as I might to get a lick in I couldn't get it nearer my face than about 12". You are a brave man Ken Boddie

Kevin Pashuk

7 years ago #1

It's too bad you couldn't pass on the aroma you so aptly described... or maybe it's a good thing.

Articles from Ken Boddie

View blog
9 months ago · 4 min. reading time

Question No 1: Where can you find Roller Coasters, Hollywood Stunt Driving, The Batmobile, Speedy Go ...

1 year ago · 4 min. reading time

It was hot … bloody hot! … yet here we were in the middle of the 'high dune' country, in the south o ...

1 year ago · 7 min. reading time

It was just after 5am on an April morning (2019), it was cold, and the sun was struggling to penetra ...

Related professionals

You may be interested in these jobs

  • Coxautoinc

    Customer Success Consultant Eagle Farm, Qld · Hybrid Remote

    Found in: Jobs Search AU C2 - 2 days ago


    Coxautoinc Perth, Australia Full time

    About Cox Automotive · Cox Automotive is the world's largest automotive service organisation, transforming the way the world buys, sells, owns and uses vehicles. · As part of the Cox family of businesses, we have been making our mark since 1898 by building and evolving world-clas ...

  • Pyramid Global Technologies

    Business Analyst

    Found in: Talent AU C2 - 2 days ago


    Pyramid Global Technologies Western Australia Full time

    About the job Business Analyst · Role Business Analyst · Required Technical Skill · Set · Effective stakeholder engagement · Business analysts are likely to deal with stakeholders at all levels of an · organisation right up to the CEO · Critical thinking · The ability to understa ...

  • Repco

    Delivery Driver

    Found in: Talent AU C2 - 2 days ago


    Repco Port Macquarie, Australia Part time

    Iconic brand with over 400 stores across Australasia · Passionate and caring team with a customer-centric culture · Part of Genuine Parts Company, the global leader in automotive parts and accessories · Driven by Passion for 100 Years · Repco is Australia's leader in Automotive ...