The Durian Experiment

On Friday I had to venture out to unknown parts of Baton Rouge to pick up my computer from a Vietnamese electronics repair shop. The shop is located in a strip mall which also houses a Vietnamese tattoo shop, a Vietnamese billiards hall, a Vietnamese restaurant (Dang Family Restaurant - not as good as Little Saigon), and a Vietnamese grocery - Vinh Phat Market.

Vinh Phat is awesome. It's full of numerous foods from all over Asia - many of which have only two English words on the label describing what they are. While exploring the store I noticed an older woman who appeared to know what she was doing. But when I approached her and asked what I should get, she humbly laughed and said, "I have no idea. This is my first time here."

Thankfully, the owners of the store assisted me with my purchases. I had the idea of making bun cha (chargrilled pork over vermicelli noodles), so the nice man escorted me around the store as I gathered my ingredients. I also grabbed some amazing looking pork belly from the butcher case, where all of the meats had been cut and packaged that same day. Some coconut milk, curry powder, and lemongrass also made their way into my basket with the hopes of tom kha (or a variation thereof).

But when I finally made it to the checkout counter, the man's wife questioned me as to the final destination for my purchases. Next thing you know, I am making several trips back through the store. "Do you like sambal [no garlic] or chili garlic sauce?" No idea. I'll just get both. Vietnamese fish sauce is apparently another necessity.

And then I spotted it. Durian. That southeast Asian fruit which we all have seen Bourdain (at 5:50) and Zimmer tackle on the Travel Channel. I couldn't resist. I made sure to ask the proprietor whether the aroma of this notoriously foul smelling fruit would take over my fridge. She politely replied, "Not if you keep it cold, and it doesn't smell bad if you like the taste."

My tutor gave me a few tips as to how to properly open the durian, but the only one that I could understand was that you are supposed to let the fruit sit out and rise to room temperature before dissecting. I decided that it would be wise to cut it open outside in case the scent was unpleasant and overwhelming.

Which turned out not to be the case at all - at least in my opinion. The aroma is similar to a pineapple, and the taste mirrors the flavor. The texture of the edible part of the flesh (which surrounds the large seeds) is really strange - the best description being that of creole cream cheese with bits of string mixed in. The Folk Singer had this to say: "The texture is strange, the flavor is good, but the aftertaste is like garbage."

One of the best eating experiences of all time? No.

Worth the $8.99 to try it just once? Absolutely.