Trying durian for the first time

A few weeks ago I tried durian for the first time. Durian, also known as “the king of fruits”, grows in tropical climates and is native to Indonesia and Malaysia. Some say it smells like stinky gym socks, rotten eggs and sulfur. Although it has a reputation for being stinky, it’s also known for being delicious and healthy. After hearing people in the raw food community go on and on about how good they feel after they eat it, I knew I just had to try it. I headed to my local Asian market in search of some. I was expecting to find the durian in the frozen section and was happy to find fresh ones. Southeast Asia is a long way from San Antonio so I was hoping mine would not be spoiled.

I bought the fruit home and just stared at it. I wasn’t sure what to do next. I wanted to try it, but I was a little intimidated by it.  It was so big and so spiky and it hurt my hand every time I touched it.  I remembered that one of my favorite raw food chefs Ani Phyo did a great video about opening a durian, so I watched the  video again. The next morning I decided I was ready to open my durian.

I woke up early and went to the kitchen and took it out of the refrigerator and quietly cut into it. I may have been quiet, but my durian wasn’t. The smell was so intense that it quickly filled the room after I made just a small cut into its flesh. If a smell could make a noise this one was screaming. My whole kitchen smelled like sulfur. It was intense.

I managed to get a section of fruit out just as my husband walked into the kitchen with a smile. His smile faded quickly as he was hit by the intense smell of my durian. He was coming over to give me a good morning kiss, but instead decided to hold his nose and proceeded to ask me “what is that horrible smell?” My son came into the kitchen shortly after that and was equally revolted by the smell. I must admit I had a hard time with the smell as well, but I still wanted to give it a chance. I put my small section of durian on a plate and sat outside on the back steps with my loyal dog. She was the only one who didn’t complain.

Isn’t she cute!

As I sat outside in the fresh air the durian smelled a little bit better and I was able to take a bite of it. It has a strange consistency, firm on the outside and soft on the inside. The outside reminded me of the “skin” on a custard that was left out to cool. I had only  eaten two bites when my son came outside to tell me how stinky the kitchen was and that he hated durian. It’s hard to eat something when people keep telling you how stinky and gross it is. I gave the rest of the fruit to my dog, who couldn’t get enough of it. She ate the plateful and wanted more.

It’s not the most beautiful looking or smelling fruit so why does it have such a strong following? It’s because of its many health benefits. Durian is rich in amino acids, copper, potassium, vitamin C and vitamins B5 and B9.  Although durian is mainly grown in Southeast Asia,  it’s also grown in Florida and Hawaii. Next time I’m in Florida I’ll be sure to look for some so that I can taste what a fresh durian is supposed to taste like. Have a great day and be sure to check out my delicious recipe for a raw vegan pumpkin seed curry on mySA.

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Tags: Durian, fruit, High Raw, Raw Diet, Raw food diet, Raw Foods