WTF?

  • February 1, 2018

(What’s that Food?)

You will more than likely smell this large, tropical fruit before you see it, and chances are you will think you are smelling something other than what you are. Durian: some love it, and some love to hate it. It can be eaten raw when it is ripe or can be cooked. Enthusiasts and those familiar with its smell have said its odor resembles rotten gym socks, turpentine and onions, garbage, sulphur, and body odor. Doesn’t really sell it, does it? Still, for a long time, the notorious fruit has been regarded as ‘The King of Fruits’.

Durian is quite heavy, and its outer shell is covered in sharp spikes, making it a potential danger to handle. Nutritionally, Durian is a powerhouse, packed with antioxidants and vitamins – that is if you can muster up the courage to get over the smell in order to taste its creamy onion-custard flavour. It is rich in potassium, dietary fibre, iron, vitamin C, and vitamin B complex.

Durian//Photo credit: Evan Ceretti

The fruit’s ripe flesh is soft and golden-yellow coloured. It’s used in traditional Asian medicine as an aphrodisiac and as an anti-fever treatment. Fun fact: Durian is banned from certain public places in South East Asia due to its pungent aroma, such as on Singapore’s mass transit system.

About Evan Ceretti

Evan is a vegetarian foodie and freelancer based in Charlottetown. His two greatest loves are food and travel, which just so happen to be the perfect pairing. A graduate of Holland College’s journalism program, and of UPEI’s print journalism program, Evan enjoys writing about the local food scene as well as writing about gastronomic journeys from the other side of the world. He’s had to luxury of visiting 30 countries and traveling for more than 1,000 days. In Charlottetown, you’ll either see him riding his bicycle, eating curry, taking photos, or playing ultimate frisbee. Follow him on IG @Evanontheroad, and on Facebook at Evan on the Road.

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