Oh my sweet and tender love

*photo by Fong Saunder@ Fongsaunder on DA

How does one describe the smell of durian?

Sweat drenched socks?
Pungent onions?
A dump site on a very warm day?
All of the above?

Most times, you smell it before you see it as its odour can be detected metres away, especially on a hot day. Its smell is definitely unique and cannot be confused with no other. .

I, would describe it as ...

rich, savoury slightly sweet odour that makes my mouth water at the mere sniff of it. I can taste it it my mouth, yummy, creamy, succulent durian. . Yes, classical conditioning at work. I am one of Pavlov's dog, completely Pavlovised, automatically salivate at the mere sight of durian stalls by the roadside or a hint of its oh so strong sweet smell.

Obviously, i LOVE durians.

Due to its smell that can be overpowering to some and the creamy texture of its pulp, durian is a required taste. Its either you love it, or you hate it. If you hate it, too bad, gimme your share. Because to me, the flavour of its creamy, tender, pale to rich yellow coloured pulp is divine!

It is like heaven! To enter heaven, one must go through many obstacles in life, mostly difficult and require patience and acts of faith. But once you're in, you never want to leave, you never know true joy and happiness before it, it is the ultimate reward. Very very much like durians. Durian, with its sharp thorns and thick husk, is difficult to open and require a well oiled technique to open it but the taste of its pulp is worth every marks on your hands, left by the thorns and the offensive smell turns to delight and sweetness you cannot describe.

A 17th century British naturalist (geographer, anthropologist, biologist and explorer) described it best;

"The five cells are silky-white within, and are filled with a mass of firm, cream-coloured pulp, containing about three seeds each. This pulp is the eatable part, and its consistence and flavour are indescribable. A rich custard highly flavoured with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but there are occasional wafts of flavour that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and other incongruous dishes. Then there is a rich glutinous smoothness in the pulp which nothing else possesses, but which adds to its delicacy. It is neither acid nor sweet nor juicy; yet it wants neither of these qualities, for it is in itself perfect. It produces no nausea or other bad effect, and the more you eat of it the less you feel inclined to stop. In fact, to eat Durians is a new sensation worth a voyage to the East to experience. ... as producing a food of the most exquisite flavour it is unsurpassed.^"

-Alfred Russel Wallace, On the Bamboo and Durian of Borneo , 1856

Why am i writing all this?

because i just saw a durian stall by the roadside at Hartamas Square but i had no money to buy any, even one fruit or a pulp. So i shall salivate and wait till tomorrow until i can drag my father to buy a dozen or more to satisfy my craving of sweet, tender durian.

But until then, i can only imagine the taste of it wrapped on my tongue, lingers in my mouth and breathe the smell on to others!

OH, I CANT WAIT! yummyummyyummy!

*drool*
*slurp*
*drool*