Durian

For such a dangerous fruit, durian sure is a big business. An article in the NY Times leads with this: “lust for durian is creating fortunes in Southeast Asia”. The value of durian exported from SE Asia into China was $6.

It’s fruit season in Thailand. One can get fruit at any time of year, but a check of orchards and markets shows that mango season starts in April; after that come durian and rambutan, and mangosteens mark the end of it.

I saw this in the grocery store today. With immediate flashbacks to the famed Durio, I had to try this new granola flavor. It’s sweet with a pleasant durian taste. This is too sweet for my taste—I don’t want much sugar with my grains, and this granola lists caramel as the second ingredient.

The durian cream sandwich cookie is an interesting concept, but one that I will not try again. It is not that I do not appreciate the king of fruits, not that at all, but rather I find these cookies do not capture the promise of such a delightful concept.

I have suggested that falling durian fruit are indubitably lethal, tried to avoid Gradgrindery in my description of the fruit, and noted that my home without durian is a bleak house indeed.