7 ms·

I live in Cambodia where all of these fruits are available, and more. I like every fruit mentioned, except salak, and eat many of them every day. This author c

by 3131s 6y ago

I live in Cambodia where all of these fruits are available, and more. I like every fruit mentioned, except salak, and eat many of them every day. This author comes off as a deeply uncultured American giving a generic impression of a drunken 3-5 day visit to SEA. There are so many errors in this article it's unreal. Jackfruit does not have a "jagged sheath" (that's durian). Dragon fruit is only mushy when it's badly bruised or overripe, and there are other varieties that are sweeter and richer than the white variety. Durian does not "stink of death". Salak are normally imported from Indonesia, as far as I know. Maybe the author is thinking of salacca wallichiana, which is related but tastes very different? Describing a langsat as a "demure cousin" of the lychee is a totally meaningless way of saying that they belong to the same order of plants.

magnio 6y ago
It puzzles me how the smell of durian, which I find very aromatic, can be disgusting to some people. Also dragon fruit is a 'bland mush'? I've must have been eating the wrong fruit. There's also a red dragon fruit which is a little tastier.
- 3131s 6y ago
  And a purple one which has a sweeter and earthier taste, which is my favorite. There are also many varieties of passion fruit, some of which are very sweet. One time I had a batch of an heirloom variety of yellow passion fruit from a small farm in the provinces and it really was unlike anything I've ever had since.
  - Nursie 6y ago
    Passiflora fruits are very varied, there may be a hundred varieties, with all sorts of different flavours. There's even one that stinks of garlic!
- unixhero 6y ago
  For one Durian is poisonous in certain quantities that vary from person to person. That smell is a warning.
- jesterson 6y ago
  It's really fascinating how different is human reaction to durian smell and taste. Durian smell is more than disgusting to me - but sometimes I do enjoy eating it. Often by holding my breath to avoid inhaling it.
- LordAtlas 6y ago
  Well, when nations that grow durian natively have signs banning durian from public transport and hotels, it's probably a good indication that enough of a majority finds the smell unpalatable. (I've tried durian in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand to try to like them. I have failed. There is just no divorcing the taste from the stench.)
  - raynr 6y ago
    > Well, when nations that grow durian natively have signs banning durian from public transport and hotels, it's probably a good indication that enough of a majority finds the smell unpalatable. What "majority" do you speak of? The "majority" of locals in Singapore, at least, do not think the smell is unpalatable. Locals just recognize that it is a strong, potent smell, that is difficult to get rid of, that lingers for ages, that is detectable even at trace concentrations. So, practically, everyone understands that durians shouldn't be in public transport or hotels.
  - magnio 6y ago
    It isn't necessary that the majority of the population hates it. Just a sizeable portion like 20% is enough. Also the puzzling thing is the stark disparity of the perception of the smell between different people. That doesn't happen to, say, seeing. This is akin to having a dress where half the people says it's black while the rest say it's white.
    - pests 6y ago
      What? Did you forget about the dress? Blue or gold? That totally has happened with seeing.
  - jinushaun 6y ago
    My parents love durian, but even they have rules against eating it inside. So those signs aren’t related to it being “unpalatable”. It’s just that the smell is so strong that it lingers around like strong perfume. For example, I love curry but don’t cook it at home because the essential oils released makes my home smell for days.
- aptwebapps 6y ago
  I think I have not had good dragon fruit yet. That's the trouble with trying new fruit you see in the market - you never know if it is a good representative.
  - chriskanan 6y ago
    Try yellow dragon fruit. It is much better than red or white and it is a different species. Red/white taste grassy with a nice texture, but yellow has a sweet tropical flavor.
Markoff 6y ago
never in my life i had mushy dragon fruit and ate it multiple times a week when lived in Asia for years, i like it cooled from fridge I've never understood what's even stinky about durian, it just has its own odor like any other fruit, nothing deserving special treatment media give it, must be some durian wholesalers conspiracy trying to make it more interesting than it actually is
- 3131s 6y ago
  > i like it cooled from fridge Me too, more so than for other fruits. Maybe that has to do with all the water content.
- phaus 6y ago
  For hundreds of years people have been describing it as smelling like various unpleasant things, like rotten onions, rotten meat, pig feces, socks, etc. In some countries where the fruit grows you aren't allowed to eat it in public in enclosed spaces, such as public transportation. Some people hate the smell of roses. My wife can't stand the smell of honeysuckles but to me its one of the most pleasant smells in the world. Perhaps Durian smells good to some people. Its obviously got a controversial fragrance that many people find unpleasant. Its hardly a modern day media conspiracy.
9nGQluzmnq3M 6y ago
YMMV, but I find that the taste of salak varies wildly. Sometimes they're mealy, dry, astringent and generally unpleasant. Sometimes they're crisp and tart like a tropical apple, and thoroughly delicious.
- 3131s 6y ago
  They are imported here, so that must be it. I have tried them many times, because the skin is so cool, but yeah they were always so dry and never tart.
wenc 6y ago
Author is probably being unnecessarily hyperbolic in order to make the piece interesting. To me, dragon fruit flesh is similar to that of Asian pears, firm, crisp, sweet and refreshing. The tiny black seeds are akin to strawberry seeds in that they add to the texture but are otherwise unnoticeable. I had my first taste of a dragon fruit a couple of years ago on a Cathay Pacific flight (amazing inflight meals btw) and was like where have you been my whole life. I knew I had to get some when I returned to the US. I quickly learned that most grocery stores in US do carry them... for about $6 per lb. They’re not cheap treats.
- 3131s 6y ago
  Here they are $0.75 a kilo at the moment, sorry!
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
blago 6y ago
> Durian does not "stink of death". It does stink to some (many?) people, much the same way some people think that cilantro tastes like soap. Which is why you see "no durian" stickers in public places throughout Asia.
- esquire_900 6y ago
  It does smell, but by far not as repulsive as the smell of actual death (rotting meat).
  - blago 6y ago
    It's called Hyperbole and it's generally accepted in everyday speech and travel writing. Also, don't assume that you know how it smells to other people. You don't.
    - esquire_900 6y ago
      It is a hyperbole; that's exactly the point that 3131s is making. It is a (quite extreme) exaggeration, and therefor factually not correct. I might indeed make some assumptions about smell. Though having smelled both durian and rotting carcasses on multiple occasions, I find it unlikely that there are people that would find durian as repulsive as rotting meat. The smell of death literally turns your stomach (and makes you vomit in extreme cases). I've never heard someone throwing up from the smell of durian.
      - blago 6y ago
        > It is a hyperbole; that's exactly the point that 3131s is making. It is a (quite extreme) exaggeration, and therefor factually not correct. We all know when we see hyperbole, but we learned even less from the terce "refutal". That was my point, as well as "nitpicking".
Der_Einzige 6y ago
"Durian does not stink of death" Sounds like you're the one spreading lies. Durian is without a doubt, the smelliest, nastiest fruit I have ever had the displeasure of ever smelling or eating in my life. My wife is from SEA and literally laughed out loud when I showed her your post. Check yourself before you try to check others.
- 3131s 6y ago
  It smells like death though? Really? I'm sure there are differences in how people perceive durian, among other foods. Most Cambodians don't have a particular aversion to durian though and it's definitely popular at the market, but sometimes you see it prohibited in touristy guesthouses and restaurants.
- sfj 6y ago
  Yes, exactly ! I remember traveling through Asia and seeing a “no durians” sign posted near the metro entrance. I forget the country, but it was probably Singapore or HK.
- pythonwizz 6y ago
  You should have taken a Scandinavian wife and try stinky shark.
tptacek 6y ago
Hannah Beech has been an SEA bureau chief at the NYT and, before that, Time Magazine for something like a decade, and wrote for Time Asia for years prior to that. I don't think "deeply uncultured American" helped your argument, and note that most of the fruit-related points you made here were challenged downthread.
- 3131s 6y ago
  I wasn't wrong about anything. Durian does not smell like death, even to people that don't like it. I know people can perceive tastes differently. My tone was too flippant because I found the article's tone annoying and misleading. I get it, hyperbole, but when most of the people reading it have no familiarity with these fruits it's going to put them off trying.
  - tptacek 6y ago
    I wouldn't want to litigate durian, as I am too chicken to try it. I have general sympathy for fruit enthusiasts and am inclined to believe you about their virtues. Good on you for acknowledging the hyperbole; I just thought the background would help.
aptwebapps 6y ago
> Jackfruit does not have a "jagged sheath" (that's durian). Durian's spikes are pointier, but you can call both of them jagged.
eythian 6y ago
> Durian does not "stink of death". I once went to a durian place in Malaysia. As we approached (they hadn't told me where we were going, it was a surprise), my first thought from the smell was that perhaps there was an animal dead off the side of the road. Tasty though.
atomi 6y ago
Dragon fruit is pitaya, native to Mexico and central America https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya I don't know when the branding changed but I'm willing to bet some form of biopiracy was involved in the trade.

by 3131s 6y ago

magnio 6y ago

It puzzles me how the smell of durian, which I find very aromatic, can be disgusting to some people. Also dragon fruit is a 'bland mush'? I've must have been eating the wrong fruit. There's also a red dragon fruit which is a little tastier.

3131s 6y ago
And a purple one which has a sweeter and earthier taste, which is my favorite. There are also many varieties of passion fruit, some of which are very sweet. One time I had a batch of an heirloom variety of yellow passion fruit from a small farm in the provinces and it really was unlike anything I've ever had since.
- Nursie 6y ago
  Passiflora fruits are very varied, there may be a hundred varieties, with all sorts of different flavours. There's even one that stinks of garlic!
unixhero 6y ago
For one Durian is poisonous in certain quantities that vary from person to person. That smell is a warning.
jesterson 6y ago
It's really fascinating how different is human reaction to durian smell and taste. Durian smell is more than disgusting to me - but sometimes I do enjoy eating it. Often by holding my breath to avoid inhaling it.
LordAtlas 6y ago
Well, when nations that grow durian natively have signs banning durian from public transport and hotels, it's probably a good indication that enough of a majority finds the smell unpalatable. (I've tried durian in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand to try to like them. I have failed. There is just no divorcing the taste from the stench.)
- raynr 6y ago
  > Well, when nations that grow durian natively have signs banning durian from public transport and hotels, it's probably a good indication that enough of a majority finds the smell unpalatable. What "majority" do you speak of? The "majority" of locals in Singapore, at least, do not think the smell is unpalatable. Locals just recognize that it is a strong, potent smell, that is difficult to get rid of, that lingers for ages, that is detectable even at trace concentrations. So, practically, everyone understands that durians shouldn't be in public transport or hotels.
- magnio 6y ago
  It isn't necessary that the majority of the population hates it. Just a sizeable portion like 20% is enough. Also the puzzling thing is the stark disparity of the perception of the smell between different people. That doesn't happen to, say, seeing. This is akin to having a dress where half the people says it's black while the rest say it's white.
  - pests 6y ago
    What? Did you forget about the dress? Blue or gold? That totally has happened with seeing.
- jinushaun 6y ago
  My parents love durian, but even they have rules against eating it inside. So those signs aren’t related to it being “unpalatable”. It’s just that the smell is so strong that it lingers around like strong perfume. For example, I love curry but don’t cook it at home because the essential oils released makes my home smell for days.
aptwebapps 6y ago
I think I have not had good dragon fruit yet. That's the trouble with trying new fruit you see in the market - you never know if it is a good representative.
- chriskanan 6y ago
  Try yellow dragon fruit. It is much better than red or white and it is a different species. Red/white taste grassy with a nice texture, but yellow has a sweet tropical flavor.

Markoff 6y ago

never in my life i had mushy dragon fruit and ate it multiple times a week when lived in Asia for years, i like it cooled from fridge I've never understood what's even stinky about durian, it just has its own odor like any other fruit, nothing deserving special treatment media give it, must be some durian wholesalers conspiracy trying to make it more interesting than it actually is

3131s 6y ago
> i like it cooled from fridge Me too, more so than for other fruits. Maybe that has to do with all the water content.
phaus 6y ago
For hundreds of years people have been describing it as smelling like various unpleasant things, like rotten onions, rotten meat, pig feces, socks, etc. In some countries where the fruit grows you aren't allowed to eat it in public in enclosed spaces, such as public transportation. Some people hate the smell of roses. My wife can't stand the smell of honeysuckles but to me its one of the most pleasant smells in the world. Perhaps Durian smells good to some people. Its obviously got a controversial fragrance that many people find unpleasant. Its hardly a modern day media conspiracy.

9nGQluzmnq3M 6y ago

YMMV, but I find that the taste of salak varies wildly. Sometimes they're mealy, dry, astringent and generally unpleasant. Sometimes they're crisp and tart like a tropical apple, and thoroughly delicious.

3131s 6y ago
They are imported here, so that must be it. I have tried them many times, because the skin is so cool, but yeah they were always so dry and never tart.

wenc 6y ago

Author is probably being unnecessarily hyperbolic in order to make the piece interesting. To me, dragon fruit flesh is similar to that of Asian pears, firm, crisp, sweet and refreshing. The tiny black seeds are akin to strawberry seeds in that they add to the texture but are otherwise unnoticeable. I had my first taste of a dragon fruit a couple of years ago on a Cathay Pacific flight (amazing inflight meals btw) and was like where have you been my whole life. I knew I had to get some when I returned to the US. I quickly learned that most grocery stores in US do carry them... for about $6 per lb. They’re not cheap treats.

3131s 6y ago
Here they are $0.75 a kilo at the moment, sorry!
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

blago 6y ago

> Durian does not "stink of death". It does stink to some (many?) people, much the same way some people think that cilantro tastes like soap. Which is why you see "no durian" stickers in public places throughout Asia.

esquire_900 6y ago
It does smell, but by far not as repulsive as the smell of actual death (rotting meat).
- blago 6y ago
  It's called Hyperbole and it's generally accepted in everyday speech and travel writing. Also, don't assume that you know how it smells to other people. You don't.
  - esquire_900 6y ago
    It is a hyperbole; that's exactly the point that 3131s is making. It is a (quite extreme) exaggeration, and therefor factually not correct. I might indeed make some assumptions about smell. Though having smelled both durian and rotting carcasses on multiple occasions, I find it unlikely that there are people that would find durian as repulsive as rotting meat. The smell of death literally turns your stomach (and makes you vomit in extreme cases). I've never heard someone throwing up from the smell of durian.
    - blago 6y ago
      > It is a hyperbole; that's exactly the point that 3131s is making. It is a (quite extreme) exaggeration, and therefor factually not correct. We all know when we see hyperbole, but we learned even less from the terce "refutal". That was my point, as well as "nitpicking".

Der_Einzige 6y ago

"Durian does not stink of death" Sounds like you're the one spreading lies. Durian is without a doubt, the smelliest, nastiest fruit I have ever had the displeasure of ever smelling or eating in my life. My wife is from SEA and literally laughed out loud when I showed her your post. Check yourself before you try to check others.

3131s 6y ago
It smells like death though? Really? I'm sure there are differences in how people perceive durian, among other foods. Most Cambodians don't have a particular aversion to durian though and it's definitely popular at the market, but sometimes you see it prohibited in touristy guesthouses and restaurants.
sfj 6y ago
Yes, exactly ! I remember traveling through Asia and seeing a “no durians” sign posted near the metro entrance. I forget the country, but it was probably Singapore or HK.
pythonwizz 6y ago
You should have taken a Scandinavian wife and try stinky shark.

tptacek 6y ago

Hannah Beech has been an SEA bureau chief at the NYT and, before that, Time Magazine for something like a decade, and wrote for Time Asia for years prior to that. I don't think "deeply uncultured American" helped your argument, and note that most of the fruit-related points you made here were challenged downthread.

3131s 6y ago
I wasn't wrong about anything. Durian does not smell like death, even to people that don't like it. I know people can perceive tastes differently. My tone was too flippant because I found the article's tone annoying and misleading. I get it, hyperbole, but when most of the people reading it have no familiarity with these fruits it's going to put them off trying.
- tptacek 6y ago
  I wouldn't want to litigate durian, as I am too chicken to try it. I have general sympathy for fruit enthusiasts and am inclined to believe you about their virtues. Good on you for acknowledging the hyperbole; I just thought the background would help.

aptwebapps 6y ago

> Jackfruit does not have a "jagged sheath" (that's durian). Durian's spikes are pointier, but you can call both of them jagged.

eythian 6y ago

> Durian does not "stink of death". I once went to a durian place in Malaysia. As we approached (they hadn't told me where we were going, it was a surprise), my first thought from the smell was that perhaps there was an animal dead off the side of the road. Tasty though.

atomi 6y ago

Dragon fruit is pitaya, native to Mexico and central America https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya I don't know when the branding changed but I'm willing to bet some form of biopiracy was involved in the trade.