Durian: the magical fruit from the East

Durian - the magical fruit durian is perhaps most famous for its stench. Durian is also the most expensive fruit on the market. Not only because durians are supremely healthy, but also because they’re absolutely delectable to those who are able to put their initial inhibitions aside (it’s 2019, close-mindedness is not exactly something to be proud of).

FLOW’s latest flavor is Durian. This is big news.

Why?

Because most people never get to try durian if they haven’t been to southeast Asia. Without an adventurous spirit, most people are more likely to dash and run when they are confronted with this exquisite fruit, not knowing what terrible disservice they are doing to themselves.

The magical fruit durian is perhaps most famous for its stench. It’s also the most expensive fruit on the market. Not only because it’s supremely healthy, but also because it’s absolutely delectable to those who are able to put their initial inhibitions aside (it’s 2019, close-mindedness is not exactly something to be proud of).

Durian is, without question, God’s gift to the discerning consumer.

FLOW’s Durian Pod has, as usual, three layers of flavors for an incomparable experience. The top notes consist of durian and milkshake, the middle notes combine banana and durian, while the bottom notes are also a mixture of durian and milkshake.

How does one describe the flavor? “Amazing”, “Mind-blowing”, “Life-changing” all come to mind. But for those of you that are still on the fence, let’s get the facts straight.

Durian is for connoisseurs, dreamers, explorers, leaders, visionaries, millennials, boomers, professionals, free spirits and anybody else who sometimes ponder what it means to be human in the middle of night. So try it, or you’ll never know what it means to be human. 

Where do durians come from?

There are around 30 different varieties of durian.

The fruit is native to Malaysia, Indonesia and Borneo. Today, there are durian farms in Sri Lanka, Southern India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and the southern Chinese island Hainan. Thailand is in fact the biggest exporter of the fruit and home to many durian farms which produce more varieties than the original native locations.

What does durian taste like?

In 1856, Alfred Russel Wallace sent a letter to Sir William Jackson Hooker describing the fruit as: ‘A rich custard highly flavored with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but there are occasional wafts of flavor that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, sherry-wine, and other incongruous dishes’. 

The simple version? It’s an exquisite and rich blend of sweet aromas.

Why is durian the king of fruits?

The fruit can weigh as much as 7 pounds. Due to the difficulty of cultivating durian – besides being dangerous when it falls, it requires very particular components in the soil, and for shipping, durian is easily the most expensive fruit as well.

Naturally rich in iron, vitamin C, and potassium, durian improves muscle strength, skin health and even lowers blood pressure. One small durian contains 23g of dietary fiber which is nearly all of your daily nutritional requirement. 

Why are durians also known as “the forbidden fruit”?

Due to its overpowering smell, durian has been banned on many types of public transport across Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong. In Singapore, the fruit is banned across all types of public transportation and even taxis have signs to let you know they refuse to carry passengers transporting the smelly fruit.

Why is it the most divisive fruit in the world?

Its smell has been likened to "turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock," "hot poop garbage" and "gasoline." In some places, durians have been banned on airplanes, trains and mass-transit -- and for good reason.

Their smell isn't only overwhelmingly potent, but it lingers too.

Despite the pungent smell, the custardy flesh actually tastes sweet. Some have even described it as "sugar cream or creme brûlée, but with more personality." The New York Times' Southeast Asia correspondent, Thomas Fuller, admires the depth of flavors in the fruit.

Like wine, he says, durian has a range of dissonant flavors that meld together to create "an overall impression of sweetness.”

And there you have it, all you need to know about Durian to decide whether or not you should try it. If you don’t, you’ll be among the majority, safely tucked away in your corner of the world, snacking on milk and cookies, sucking down mango pods to get your fix of the exotic.

But if you decide to try it, then you join the ranks of Marco Polo, Amelia Earhart, Buzz Aldrin, Hannibal Barca, Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan, as not only daring adventurers and explorers, but also conquerors of this reality and of the human condition.