Danny The Terminator Against Bsda Options

[beartrap]

Those who dare to try durian say the creamy fruit is most delicious. Anthony Bourdain seems to like it and he has quite a sophisticated palate. Obviously, the smell is prohibitive for some. That story was too funny, Bob!

I'm not sure if lutefisk is what was made into the fiskebollen I was served at a dinner given by a Danish nurse, but it was one of the most difficult meals I have ever tried to politely eat without gagging. It must be an aquired taste.

I have a policy that if it is called food, I will try it. I seek out unusual foods, and have enjoyed some of the "ripest" of them, including raw fermented fish, but the day I ate a durian, I met my match. Never have I tasted anything so foul. I found that it tasted exactly as it smelled. After gagging down enough to make a good dent in the fruit, I frantically grabbed a coke and gulped it down, actually sucking it out of the bottle in my panic to wash away that horrible taste... terrible mistake! I proceeded to burp uncontrollably and with each burp I gagged. In retrospect, I should have regurgitated and gotten it over with. Instead that durian stayed with me the rest of the miserable day.

[Skyhook]

I have a policy that if it is called food, I will try it. I seek out unusual foods, and have enjoyed some of the "ripest" of them, including raw fermented fish, but the day I ate a durian, I met my match. Never have I tasted anything so foul. I found that it tasted exactly as it smelled. After gagging down enough to make a good dent in the fruit, I frantically grabbed a coke and gulped it down, actually sucking it out of the bottle in my panic to wash away that horrible taste... terrible mistake! I proceeded to burp uncontrollably and with each burp I gagged. In retrospect, I should have regurgitated and gotten it over with. Instead that durian stayed with me the rest of the miserable day.

beartrap, I hate to laugh at other's misfortune, but that is a funny story. The people who enjoy durian, are probably the same folks who enjoy scotch and those little black twisted Italian cigars that give passersby a headache and kill birds from about 50 yards away. No doubt their sense of taste and smell has been totally wiped out.

This post has been edited by Skyhook: Sep 15 2007, 11:56 PM

[Observer]

Back in 1996 the [X] told me that when [Y] retired they threw a party for him. He had a grand time eating lots of durian.

He went to the airport, and climbed the steps to get into the plane. At the top of the steps he burped, and the odor got caught by the ventilation system as he went to his seat and sat down.

As the plane tried to leave the airport, the foul odor that filled the plane caused a mad, vain search of the plane for the durian. I think I was told that the plane had to taxi back twice. As the attendants went up and down the aisle they paused to look at the European who wasn't saying a word. They thought, "Certainly it can't be him, since he's European."

Finally, the plane took off.

You can have your durians. I'll take the mangoes, jack fruit, star fruit, and some of the others. But durian? No way. Not for me.

It's odd up here. The Norwegians talk about and eat lutefisk (sp?), trying to keep a connection with the old home country. I was quite surprised to learn this summer that Norwegians in Norway generally don't like lutefisk. Times have changed, and the descendants of the immigrants here keep up the old customs that those back in the homeland no longer do.

After hearing that, I wondered what percentage of locals in the Far East really do like durian. Anyone know?

I like durian.

Yes, the commercial airlines that serve countries where durian is grown generally do not allow people to bring it on the airplane.

When I visit San Francisco, I have purchased durian which hs been flown in frozen to the Chinese markest in San Francisco. SAd to say, the relatives whom we have been visiting have learned not to serve it when I brought it back for them to eat.!


In the right countries it is a well established food. you can even purchase durian ice cream!

AS to the other listed tr opical fruit--one would have to live in the tropics to realize the nlumber of varities available. It is indeed a pleasure to live in such a place.


But, it does have its disadvantages. People who live in California are well known for pointing out olive trees to visiters, and waiting for them to pick and eat a ripe olive right off of the tree--that is a tastyou will not forget. In the tropics, that is done with cashew nuts--they will blister the inside of your mouth. Thr fruit off of the so-called "chewing gum" tree is nice.

At the request of Bob Pickle, I have removed the names from his quote.

This post has been edited by Observer: Sep 16 2007, 11:49 AM

[Pickle]

People who live in California are well known for pp;inting out olive trees to visiters, and waiting for them to pick and eat a ripe olive right off of the tree--that is a tastyou will not forget. In the tropics, that is done with cashew nuts--they will blister the inside of your mouth. Thr fruit off of the so-called "chewing gum" tree is nice.

Yes, you have to treat olives with something, such as lye, before they're edible. But why treat fish with lye to make lutefisk?

Ahh! While the cashew nut untreated must be left alone, the cashew fruit it hangs from is sure good.

[calvin]

Why does so many of these discussions turn to food?

[LaurenceD]

IPeople who live in California are well known for pointing out olive trees to visiters, and waiting for them to pick and eat a ripe olive right off of the tree--that is a tastyou will not forget.

Yeah, someone tried that on me when I first came to LLU. I remember they drove me around to see the sights, and stopped the car when I asked what was growing in a certain orchard...the Scharffenberg boy hopped out and picked me some fruit. But me, being of the natural skeptic kind, thought I would fool him, as a first test, because I suspected something from his behavior and over-zealousness in describing how good they were. So, I popped an olive into my mouth (actually, it missed my mouth and landed in the seat beside me on the other side from him--but he couldn't see what happened). I pretended to chew it vigorously, swallowed, eyes bugged out, and asked for another. Everyone burst out laughing. He gave me another but was watching too closely this time, so I reached down and picked up the first one off the back car seat and confessed.

[LaurenceD]

Why does so many of these discussions turn to food?

Hungering and thirsting for 3abn truth, yet not willing to go away unfulfilled--somehow?

[PeacefulBe]

I have a policy that if it is called food, I will try it. I seek out unusual foods, and have enjoyed some of the "ripest" of them, including raw fermented fish, but the day I ate a durian, I met my match. Never have I tasted anything so foul. I found that it tasted exactly as it smelled. After gagging down enough to make a good dent in the fruit, I frantically grabbed a coke and gulped it down, actually sucking it out of the bottle in my panic to wash away that horrible taste... terrible mistake! I proceeded to burp uncontrollably and with each burp I gagged. In retrospect, I should have regurgitated and gotten it over with. Instead that durian stayed with me the rest of the miserable day.

You will never know how much I appreciate you sharing your experience, beartrap. Ever since Anthony Bourdain sang the durian praises, I have been on a quest to try the fruit. I wll set that aside! After hearing your palate-shaking brush with the stuff, I now believe that it is a clever conspiracy by Bourdain which will bring him repeated fits of glee as the unsuspecting fall prey to the taste of the evil thing.

[PeacefulBe]

I like durian.

Yes, the commercial airlines that serve countries where durian is grown generally do not allow people to bring it on the airplane.

When I visit San Francisco, I have purchased durian which hs been flown in frozen to the Chinese markest in San Francisco. SAd to say, the relatives whom we have been visiting have learned not to serve it when I brought it back for them to eat.!
In the right countries it is a well established food. you can even purchase durian ice cream!

AS to the other listed tr opical fruit--one would have to live in the tropics to realize the nlumber of varities available. It is indeed a pleasure to live in such a place.
But, it does have its disadvantages. People who live in California are well known for pointing out olive trees to visiters, and waiting for them to pick and eat a ripe olive right off of the tree--that is a tastyou will not forget. In the tropics, that is done with cashew nuts--they will blister the inside of your mouth. Thr fruit off of the so-called "chewing gum" tree is nice.

I must say that I'm glad I read beartrap's post before this one or I would have been jumping in my van for a quick trip to SF's Chinese Market.

The cashew nut fruit, an shiney red thing, does similar things to the inside of one's mouth and yet has quite a compelling flavor. I ate one on rather a dare and lived through it. Just once, though.

[Observer]

I must say that I'm glad I read beartrap's post before this one or I would have been jumping in my van for a quick trip to SF's Chinese Market.

The cashew nut fruit, an shiney red thing, does similar things to the inside of one's mouth and yet has quite a compelling flavor. I ate one on rather a dare and lived through it. Just once, though.

PB, take the plunge. Go to Chinatown in SF, and try a durian. I do not mind them. The first time I ate one we were having dinner at the home of my ex-wife and my oldest son. along with my second son and his family. The durian was my last minute contribution to the meal my ex-wife had planned. It was served. As I recall, most people ate some. I do not think my oldest son ate any. But, the rest did. My present wife has lived in Indonesia, and eaten it there. When we left that area to return to Colorado, I was presented, by my ex-wife, with a package of the frozen left-overs of the durian, as she informed me that she did not expect that it would be eaten, so I was placed in charge of the leftovers. No, we knew that we could not take it on the airplane with us.



The cashew nut, raw as it is picked, will literally burn the skin off the inside of your mouth. You were lucky.

[beartrap]

Almost every food is worth trying at least once, even the vile durian. One never knows... I would recommend finding a good friend who knows and loves durian, promise to share it with them (so that they will not play any jokes on you) and get them to choose the fruit.

The cashew fruit makes a very good jam, but I am not fond of them raw. Its like eating a green banana. They turn your mouth inside out. The nuts have to be roasted and shelled before they are edible at all.

[PeacefulBe]

Almost every food is worth trying at least once, even the vile durian. One never knows... I would recommend finding a good friend who knows and loves durian, promise to share it with them (so that they will not play any jokes on you) and get them to choose the fruit.

The cashew fruit makes a very good jam, but I am not fond of them raw. Its like eating a green banana. They turn your mouth inside out. The nuts have to be roasted and shelled before they are edible at all.

Well, perhaps I will be brave and try it one day. My husband and I are rather adventurous.

Yes, the cashew fruit (which a Sierra Leonean friend warned me was poisonous) had a unique and tastey flavor, but was rather like sinking one's teeth into a plantain banana.

[Pickle]

Durian to many may be like sugar beets. I asked a farmer, "Do people eat these?" He replied, "Once."

I remember the cashew fruit tasting quite nice, whether the red kind or the yellow kind that I saw in I think Honduras. One was long and the other was round. But maybe I'm not remembering correctly.

This post has been edited by Pickle: Sep 16 2007, 12:45 PM

[PeacefulBe]

Durian to many may be like sugar beets. I asked a farmer, "Do people eat these?" He replied, "Once."

I remember the cashew fruit tasting quite nice, whether the red kind or the yellow kind that I saw in I think Honduras. One was long and the other was round. But maybe I'm not remembering correctly.

The West African variety is red and round and looks rather like a small apple. I would like to try one again someday.

[västergötland]

Interesting that you refer to Anthony Bourdain, doesnt he sing the praises of Pork as soon and as often as he can?