Saturday 11 June 2011

Durian is low GI- but who really cares?

After all, durian isn't edible anyway.

That makes it no GI really. On formal testing durian has a low GI rating of 49.

Some misguided folks apparently refer to durian as the "king of fruits".

I was very excited to try this on my trip to Singapore last year. I had heard so much about it. But whatever you've heard can never prepare you for the smell of fresh durian.

Once you've smelt it you completely understand to your core why it's banned on trains and buses.


So how does it smell? It smells most like burnt vomit. Hard to get away from that fact. But it does. You can tell that there is a fruit stall around the corner, as you can smell that unmistakeable stench from that far.

Despite this smell that attacks the back of your throat I was still keen to try it. I thought that it would be most safe to try in icecream form. That durian icecream would be dilute enough, that it would be ok.


But it's not. I tried to like it, but I just couldn't do it. I only managed to nibble the icecream down to the start of the wafer. Couldn't do it any more. And I paid for it for hours later. Each time  you breathe out you can smell burnt vomit all over again.

Buying the icecream was fascinating in itself though. I bought it from a cart seller. The lady got a block of your desired flavour out of her freezer, and wielding a massive knife she cut a slice with great precision.

Not a great picture, but you get the idea

Durian, try this low GI treat at your own peril.




This post is linked to Weekend Cooking, a fabulous weekly meme at Beth Fish Reads.

9 comments:

  1. I have heard the smell is just terrible. Very terrible.
    Sorry, bad smell and food do not go together in my mind..lol

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  2. I've heard about the horrible smell, of course, but your description is, well, really descriptive. Yuck. I can't see myself getting past the smell.

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  3. I don't think I would have the nerve to try this :(

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  4. I've heard about it, but never saw it, let alone smelled it. I think that's a good thing :) I give you credit for giving it a try though. Burnt vomit, LOL, good description!

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  5. I think you are either a very curious or very courageous person. I'm not sure I could have put it in my mouth. I wonder if there are people who actually like the taste. Probably, or the ice cream lady wouldn't have it on her cart.

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  6. Wow, I've never even heard of durain before. You're much braver than I would be!

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  7. I don't know this fruit, but I would probably try it.

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  8. Margot there certainly are people who like the taste- lots of them I think. Indeed my friend ended up eating the rest of the icecream, but she'd grown up eating durian. Durian was very popular all over Singapore- it appeared as a dessert option in most places.

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  9. The sweetness and creaminess of the fruit cannot be equalled. My advice to durian newbies would be to try three times, after that you will not notice the smell, in fact it becomes attractive once the brain associates it with the great taste.

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