Durian Durian - or who cut the cheese?

Durian Fruit. Synonymous with foodies all over the world as the dreadful smelling, often misunderstood fruit with a cult-like following. You may have heard the myths, the legends about the Durian Fruit; how the fruit could clear out an entire room with its smell, that you can't drink alcohol while consuming the durian or you body will become so hot that you will feel as if you were on fire, and that it is one of the best tasting fruits in the world.

Well, I had to try it for myself....and see what all the "stink" was about.

First off, the durian is a big fruit. Weighing approximately 7lbs, its like a spikier watermelon. The shell is so rough, that the spines from the fruit easily ripped through the plastic bag it was brought home from the supermarket in. (Good old H-Mart, in Little Ferry, NJ). It wasn't "cheap", as it cost me nearly $9 for the fruit. It would, however, have a high yield and would feed quite a few people.

Once I found the proper spot to open the Durian (usually along a dark lined area that appears on the fruit after a day or so), I plunged my chef's knife into the fruit and slit it in half...

Immediately I was overcome by a very strong smell, very much like sulfur or a freshly laid fart. I wish I could come up with a better description, but after careful consideration that really is the best one for the smell. Thinking to myself that if the aroma matched the taste, this would possibly be the most vile thing I had ever eaten. I decided to venture forward anyway...

Carefully exposing the soft, milky white flesh of the fruit itself, I grabbed a spoon and scooped out some. Similar in texture to custard or rice pudding, I placed the contents of the spoon into my mouth. To my surprise, the flavor was pretty tasty! Tasting very much like a cross between a mango and a honey dew melon, it was sweet and subtle, with a milky, creamy aftertaste and sweet finish. As for the texture, I can't say I was a big fan, but I tend not to like custard like foods anyway.

I cut the melon into quarters, and kept on eating. The more of the durian I ate, the more I likened it to a soft cheese, like a fruity brie or Pierre Robert. The flavor really was quite good, but the smell was so strong that it was hard to make sense of the two together. I decided then and there that this was the strangest thing I have ever tasted to date.

All fear now dispelled, I think I understand the Durian and all its stinky goodness. While I didn't become one of those durian-hooked addicts, I did appreciate how unique its flavor was. I think that if a chef used the Durian fruit with a combination of some coconut milk, or cream in an application like a smoothie or creamy dessert where the aroma could be dissipated by the cooking or other ingredients, the Durian could really shine.

I hope that my research into the Durian will help people out there understand this fruit a little better, and take it more out of the exotic strange food land. While I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, hardcore foodies might find it strangely amazing or utterly revolting. But until you have tried it, I don't think there is anything else quite like it in the world.

The durian in its mesh bag

The spike laden Durian Fruit, ready to be cut open

The halved Durian. You can see the multiple chambers containing the white flesh

The Durian flesh

Imperial Creme Brulee Stout

Imperial Creme Brulee Stout

Delicious...nuff said.

Ok, maybe not "nuff" said. How could that be possible with a beer this good? Seriously, this might be one of the best tasting, most interesting beers I have ever tasted. Its a very light stout, with only a little carbonation. The whole creme brulee flavor really shines through (vanilla is listed as an ingredient on the label?) but has a clean finish and a long lasting after taste. I tried this beer with some different chocolates and found that they were a match made in heaven.

I'm not sure what this beer retails for, but if you have a chance to try it don't pass up the opportunity. It definitely not an everyday drinking beer, but more for a special occasion.

Black OPS Beer

Every class coming through the St. Andrew's Cafe has a designated day for a Beer lecture and tasting as part of their curriculum. Now while that is pretty cool in its own right, every once in a while an exceptional class with exceptional connoisseurship in beer happen. The current class had just the person to make this happen, a Justin Burchill; who with a good bit of knowledge about the better beers in life helped create a special tasting. While there were too many beers to mention all of them, two of them really stood out for me. 

The first of the two was Brooklyn Breweries Black OPS. Black OPs is a unique Russian Imperial Stout which is aged for four months in old bourbon barrels, bottled flat, then re-carbonated with champagne yeast. 

As you can see from the picture of it below in the glass, its as dark as the devils soul, and just as sinful. What an amazing beer! When you first sip it, you are instantly transported to drinking a shot of good quality bourbon, but then it transforms into creamy coffee-like chocolate stout of a beer. Damn good stuff. Expensive too, at about $30 a bottle. Oh, and they only made 1,000 cases of the stuff, so if you have a chance to try it then I strongly suggest you do.

The second beer that really amazed me was Innis & Gunn, another oak aged beer. Unlike the Black OPS, the Innis & Gunn was surprisingly mellow, with flavors of vanilla, spice, orange, and lemon zest. A really well rounded beer, probably one of the best I had ever tasted. What was nice was that the beer had so many flavor profiles of what reminded me of a Belgian beer, but without the strong hops flavors. I think I might just have to go buy a few of these just to do some more "research".