Thursday, January 28, 2010

Durian


It's official. I am addicted to durian.

Prior to trying the fruit I did a lot of research...That is to say, I read the wikipedia article and watched some youtube videos.

Let me tell you that Andrew Zimmern is not only a baby, but he doesn't know a thing about taste.

Initially the durian smells like overripe fruit and onions. Once you get past that and bite into the delicious custardy flesh you realize that the flavor is far more complex than that....And it varies from person to person.

For me durian tastes like a slightly oniony nutty version of a coconut, banana, watermelon, and avocado all combined. In short, it's like nature's icecream

Other people have told me they think it tastes like burnt pizza bites, gyoza, sweet onions, and coconut.

Either way this mysterious fruit is delicious and I would highly recommend it. It's a great dairy substitute and texture booster in things like frosting and smoothies.

Here's a little recipe for a durian banana smoothie:

2 1/2 large bananas
1/4 durian fruit (about 3 seeds worth)
soy milk for texture