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| We lay claim on the durian as a Southeast Asian fruit — nay, not just a fruit but the King of Fruits — but it’s more than that. It’s an architectural juggernaut, a cooking ingredient, a Hongkong movie, a toxic substance that should spearhead the development of chemical warfare; and a dangerous odour capable of holding up a flight. |
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The King, like so many other kings, is many things to many persons. But let’s start with its basic identity — food. The word durian comes from the Malay word, duri, for thorn and was used to bait the animal which was believed to cause the SARS virus, the civet cat. Describing how a durian looks and smells is prickly business. Someone once said that the durian is to fruit what limburger is to cheese and pornography is to literature. Others have described it as “rotting onions”, “unwashed socks”, and even “smelly armpits”. It’s no wonder the durian is banned from hotels and subways in many parts of Asia.
Yet to those who love it, the durian is the fruit of the gods, the caviar of fruits. In The Malay Archipelago, famed Victorian naturalist and evolutionary theorist Alfred Russell Wallace wrote, “To eat durian is a new sensation worth a voyage to the East to experience.” His hyperbole is just the tip of the iceberg. Proof of the durian’s greatness? In 2003, it made the Guardian’s ‘20 Foods You Must Eat Before You Die’ list, alongside delicacies like wild boar prosciutto, raw milk buffalo cheese and roasted beef marrow. David Thompson, a chef and writer, pens these compliments in that list — “The durian is the most notorious fruit. You can smell it from 100m away. Some describe it as tasting like eating custard out of a toilet and as having the smell of New York in summer, but I love it. It's the foie gras of fruit. It is the most delicious thing - there's a bit of garlic about it, and saffron too. I’d sell my mother to eat it.”
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The durian has about as many vitamins and minerals as the avocado but contains two-thirds less fat, gram to gram. And you won’t have to sell your mother because it’s very affordable in Singapore. The famous strains of durians are the Mon Thong or Golden Pillow juggernauts in Thailand and the D24 from Malaysia. The Mon Thong has tiny seeds in proportion to the custard-like flesh surrounding them and is said to have the sweetest fragrance. The D24 — the de facto boutique durian in Singapore — is sweet with a slightly bitter taste and has been used to make durian puree, durian puffs and durian desserts. Just don’t drink alcohol after ingesting durians — the combination is thought to be deadly though it’s never been proven.
The durian’s firmly enthroned not just in the culinary world but in the pop-cultural landscape. Singapore loves the durian so much we spent $600 million modeling our most famous landmark, The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, after it. Local TV show Durian King had elastic-faced comic Adrian Pang playing the titular role. Elsewhere, Hongkong made a movie titled Durian Durian (not to be confused with Duran Duran) in 2002 detailing a Chinese call girl’s life in the island and American reality show Fear Factor once inflicted the King on participants in a concoction made of durian, pig brains, rooster testes and cow eyes.
In Sydney circa 2003, a box of durians sprinkled with carpet deodorizer (presumably to mask its fetid aroma) sparked an aviation alert after cargo handlers noticed a pungent smell emanating from the plane’s baggage hold. Because the fruit was covered in the white powder, a full-scale hazardous chemical alert was issued. Police and fire crews even evacuated and sealed off the plane for four hours.
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Good Stuff at Goodwood
You've inhaled Goodwood Park Hotel’s heavenly durian puffs. Now get ready for its Durian Madness promotion from now to Aug 20, which will feature durian crumble, durian pudding, durian mousse, durian crepes and even durian gado gado! For the first time, the hotel will also serve up the Durian Expresso Bar. Imagine this: Two layers of coffee-soaked chocolate sponge cake almost bursting with durian mousse and topped with roasted walnuts and brown crumble sponge. Little wonder that the bar, which costs SGD1.80 per pop, is tipped to be a hit. Another way to get your hands on it is to head straight for the Durian Dessert Buffet, which accompanies the Lunch Buffet ($36.80+++), the High Tea Buffet ($30.80+++) and the Dinner Buffet ($45.80+++).
Available only from Fridays to Saturdays till 20 August, including 9 August.
Or, simply answer a few simple questions and win yourself a an exclusive durian dining experience at Goodwood Park Hotel!
Join the contest now
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