Singapore Sling

A thorny Issue

By Rennie Loh

Love it or hate it. That is how most people feel on their first encounter with the durian, hailed as the "King of Fruits." A spiky, soccer-ball-sized fruit loved by most Singaporeans for its sweet, custard-yellow flesh, durians are distinctive in their taste, texture and shape. However, what makes the fruit truly unique is its powerful, pungent smell so overpowering that generations of Singaporeans have struggled to find a single description that fits. It has been described as "fermented cheese," "rotting fish" or even "unwashed socks." And yet, Singaporeans simply cannot get enough of it, while most foreigners, especially Westerners, avoid them like the plague. There is a popular saying that durians have the smell of hell and the taste of heaven.

In Singapore, durians are readily available all year round because they are imported from neighboring countries. The best are imported from Malaysia and Thailand, although a few durian trees can still be found in the remote areas of Singapore's modern, concrete-and-steel jungle.

Mr. Tan Kim Hock, a durian seller, said, "The 'branded' durians (from Malaysia) are like designer durians, which let the buyers know where the durians are from and what type of durian trees have borne these fruits. Therefore, the quality and the taste of the durians are guaranteed."

The favorites of many Singaporeans are Segamat durians, which are usually sweet and bitter with either light-yellow, strong-yellow or off-white flesh; D2 durians which have a soft, light-orange flesh and a sweet, slightly bitter taste; Super D24 durians with soft, yellow flesh and a bitter taste; and the creme de la creme, Sultan Ice Cream durians, which have a small seed hidden inside their thick, creamy and bitter flesh. In Mr. Tan's fruits shop, D24 durians were sold at three for Singapore 20 dollers (¥1,360).

Mr. Tan demonstrated how to choose the best durian. He said, "I will usually hit the durians with the blade of a knife to determine whether they are ripe or not. If the sound is hollow, the durian is not ripe because ripe ones give out a low sound. To choose a good durian simply by smelling it is unreliable, as smell varies among the different varieties.

But a true durian connoisseur, Mr. Alfred Tan, says he can tell the difference. According to him, the smell of the perfect durian "with a thick, creamy, treacle-like, bittersweet-tasting flesh" has "a faint aroma of bittersweet, butterscotch and almonds with a bouquet of wild honey and a hint of smoked oak."

Many Singaporeans have taken to durians as fish to water. Many believe that consuming durians can heat the body like sake does in winter. I do not have any scientific explanation to support this, but true to this belief, my body does feel warm after I have eaten durians. There is also a myth that one should not take any alcohol together with durians as it will lead to a stroke or heart attack. Another more far-fetched assumption is that durians can improve one's virility, but the basis of this is more sales propaganda than fact.

My Singaporean friend Sharlene Lim, a postgraduate in London, reminisces, "What I really like about durians in particular is the anticipation about what happens after the durian husk is opened up. Will the durians be sweet or bitter, and how many will there be? I particularly like the sweet ones with the thick, yellow, tender flesh. In London, whenever I pass by shops in Chinatown that sell durians, I always remember the good old times back in Singapore."

Regrettably, foreigners seldom seem to bear any fondness for durians. Savoring durians is an acquired taste. I recommend sweet durians instead of bitter ones for beginners. But hold your breath first!

Shukan ST: Sept. 20, 2002

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