Durian: smells bad but tastes great?
Ahh, the blessed durian! Seems like people either love it or hate it. Durian is a fruit native to South East Asia and happens to grow all over the island of Koh Samui, Thailand.
It is the big brown spikey fruit that you may seem at certain times of the year piled high on little road stands around the island. Inside the durian is the soft, custard-like flesh of the fruit and it tastes delicious. If, that is, you can get over the smell! Yes, it is the durian fruit that is widely known for being the worst smelling fruit ever. The smell is often compared to rotten eggs, dirty socks, smelly armpits and even toe jam. And it’s true!
In many places around SE Asia, durian fruit is banned in hotel rooms, buses, taxes and public areas because the smell is so strong, it can linger for hours, even days.
But, just like an aged cheese that might initially smell uninviting, when you get to the flavor, it can be astoundingly good! Amazing good! Quite possibly the best raw food experience you could ever possibly have!
The Durian Fruit, a favorite amongst Raw Foodists
Durian is sold fresh, either as an entire fruit or conveniently opened up and packaged for you. They also make durian chips which are deep fried – it’s like a potato chip but slightly thicker and made from durian. Even though the chips are cooked and fried, they are certainly a better alternative to potato chips which are most likely genetically modified and most certainly contain preservatives.
Like cheese, some people like the fresh durian more firm while others prefer it more soft, like a custard. In the supermarkets here in Thailand, they will not let you touch the pre-packaged durian because everyone wants to poke it to see how it feels!
In Thailand, they also make durian ice cream and durian candies. Thai people love the fresh durian! They instinctively know the durian fruit is good to de-stress naturally, gain energy & make you feel happy!
Local, Organic Tropical Fruit - Durian!
Durian is considered to be ‘The King of all Fruits.’ The ‘Queen’ is said to be the mangosteen, which, interestingly enough, comes into season at the same time as durian. Many people say that to balance out the energy of durian, one should also eat mangosteen sometime in the course of the same day as eating durian.
There are many health benefits to the durian fruit. It is excellent for overall cleansing because it is a natural sulfur food. It is an excellent source of good fat which is important to the raw food diet. It is organic and locally grown, so especially is you visit Asia, you should be eating this fruit and not buying imported irradiated grapes from Brazil!!
Perhaps the best health benefit of the durian fruit is that it gives you a natural high. It is an excellent raw food for relieving stress naturally due to the high amounts of tryptophan in it. Tryptophan is a naturally occurring element in the durian known to relieve anxiety, depression, insomnia, pain and pre-menstrual conditions (PMT).
Freshly Cut Mon Thong next to Durian Ban
Just as there are different varieties of apples, there are several different types of durian. The ‘Durian Ban’ is the small round shaped durian and is more used for the seeds which are traditionally cooked and eaten in Thailand. The ‘Mon Thong’ is one of the most popular varieties. In Thai it means ‘Golden Pillow’ and it really does look like a golden pillow! This durian is know to be sweet and very tasty. Then there is the ‘Channee’ which is a bigger durian.
I encourage you to try them all and see which durian you like best! If you can’t make it to South East Asia for your durian, try your local Asian market. Many times they sell whole frozen durians. Ask around! Whatever you do, don’t miss out on trying this very special fruit!
More Raw Food Desserts:
Follow Jennifer