2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
On my third visit to Thailand, I finally made my acquaintance with the fruit of the tropical plant Durian, about which I heard and read very contradictory impressions. Since the most correct idea is created only with a personal acquaintance, I have taken the first step towards such an acquaintance
"King of fruits" from the Malvaceae family
Somehow it is hard to believe that this large and prickly miracle of nature, which the reader sees in the main photo, is the fruit of a tree that is a relative of our Mallow, which grows freely in village front gardens, devoid of protective thorns and possessing miniature edible fruits. But the botanists know better.
My first taste of an exotic fruit took place at a table on a busy street in the Thai city of Pattaya. The seller weighed the fruit we liked, which turned out to be three and a half kilograms. The price is indicated per kilogram of the "live" weight of the fruit and was equal to one hundred Thai baht at the time of purchase, which is a little more than two hundred Russian rubles, per kilogram. That is, the fruit cost us three hundred and fifty baht (about seven hundred rubles). With dexterous movements, the seller cut off the thorny lobes of the protective shell with a sharp hatchet and removed four rather large yellow "pies" from it. Their shape resembled the shape of a huge bean, and was also similar to a human embryo in its early stages of development.
Beneath the thin fibrous shell was a light mass, reminiscent of thick yogurt or conscientiously whipped cream. We ate these giant "beans" straight with our hands, pinching off with a piece of the shell part of the delicate inner mass. The taste, contrary to other people's opinions, turned out to be simply divine, unlike any other fruit, and even more so on vegetables (many people imagine the taste of rotten onions). A pleasant aftertaste and a feeling of satiety persisted for quite a long time after the end of the meal.
Durian's Taste
The reason for the different opinions about the taste of Durian fruit lies in the presence of several plant species, the taste of the fruit of which is radically different from each other. There are about thirty varieties of Durian, of which at least nine are good for food.
In Thailand, there are several main types of Durian, the fruits of which tourists can taste if they visit not only Pattaya, but also in other parts of the country. These are, for example, such types or varieties of Durian as: Mon Thong, Chani or Chini (Chanee), Kan Yao, Long Laplae.
"Mon Tong" is by far the most popular type of Durian, as its seeds are relatively small, and the pulp surrounding the seed is soft, sweet and creamy, melting with a pleasant aroma in the mouth. So far I had a chance to try exactly "Mon Tong". By the way, Durian seeds are also edible. They are neutral in taste, brown on the outside and white on the inside, and when chewed give the impression of an oily substance. The smell of this type of Durian is not very pungent. The second time we ate it on our balcony. The son quite deftly extracted a pleasant delicacy from the barbed shell. Waste from the fruit was put into a plastic bag, which stood on the balcony until evening. In the evening they took me to a trash can on the street. During the day, the aroma from the shell intensified, and therefore, while the bag was being carried across the room to the exit, the smell managed to fill the room. He was not that very disgusting, but somewhat unpleasant and rather persistent. This smell did not interrupt the desire to taste the creamy pulp of the fruit once again.
"Chini" is considered the best in terms of fruit resistance to infectious diseases.
"Kang Yao" retains the sweetness of the pulp and the absence of an unpleasant smell longer than other types, however, it is less common on sale.
Lon Laple is a hybrid bred by breeders six years ago. It is the sweetest fruit among other types of Durian, and therefore is considered a delicacy and is more expensive. Lon Laple is the pride of the Thai province of Uttaradit, located in the northeast of the country.
Other countries have their favorites among the Durian varieties.
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