Photo by Florian/Flickr (Creative Commons)
The fruit that’s sweet but smells like feet: durian on sale at a 99 Ranch Market in the San Gabriel Valley, June 2009
This week, I’m featuring a post a day on those ethnic foods that may be an acquired taste, but are worth acquiring because in the end, they are unsung delicacies. And I’ve been taking suggestions, which is a good thing, because there are different delicacies for different people.
Which brings me to today’s item. The “food, booze and punk rock” blogger Javier Cabral, aka The Glutster, suggested one of his favorite acquired tastes, the durian. Yes, that durian.
The spiky, football-sized fruit is, for some, the closest thing to a culinary prank. I was once invited to a lovely home-cooked dinner by friends in Singapore only to have my hosts begin giggling as time for dessert approached. “Now,” one of them said, “you get to try durian!” As everyone began to laugh, I realized that I’d been set up as the evening’s entertainment in the role of foreigner-getting-her-first-taste-of-durian, or rather, my first whiff.
Enormously popular in Southeast Asia, the durian has creamy, custard-like flesh. The problem, not a small one, is that it smells like sweaty feet. It’s worse in close spaces, to where durians are forbidden on Singapore subway cars, along with flammable goods.
I wouldn’t have thought to suggest it myself. But as Cabral wrote in an e-mail, the fruit’s consistency and flavor are worth braving the odor. His take on durian:
It is my favorite fruit for sure, quite possibly favorite sweet as well. Once you get over the acquired smell, you will get such a complex mix of coconut, banana, pineapple, mango, creamy cheese. It has an unrivaled mouthfeel that can not be replicated no matter how many egg yolks and heavy cream a pastry chef uses!
He’s right. In truth, the taste isn’t half bad. Acquired? Definitely. But it’s worth trying.
Yesterday’s post featured arroz con calamares en su tinta – rice with squid in its own ink – a dish that sounds nasty and looks worse, but is a personal favorite. Know of a dish that’s ugly but good, or an acquired taste that’s worthwhile? Suggestions, and photos, are welcome.
