We shared a durian the other night and it was a seriously good one. For those who don’t know what a durian is, it’s a giant spikey, rich & creamy exotic fruit. It’s so popular in Southeast Asia that it’s considered King of the Fruit. Durian also has a reputation of being smelly. (ok, really smelly) A few countries have even banned the presence of durian in selected public spots due to its offensive smell. Writer Richard Sterling compared the odour to “pig-sh**, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock.” Mark’s own description is “a smelly sock marinated in maple syrup”.
So why would anyone want to eat this stinky fruit? Well, if you can get past the smell, durian is a most wonderfully delicious creamy custard-like pudding and in my opinion, a good durian tastes absolutely divine. After eating his first durian in Borneo, 19th century naturalist, Alfred Russell Wallace described his experience : “A rich, butter-like custard highly flavored with almonds, but intermingled with wafts of flavor that call to mind cream cheese, onion sauce, brown sherry and other incongruities. The more you eat of it, the less you feel inclined to stop.” Yes, durian can be highly addictive. (I just bought 2 more plump ones)
Ok, I’ll be honest here…. some like durian but most don’t – at least not the first time. But with each subsequent bite, one acquires a taste for it, even craves it over time. For example, when Mark & I were dating, he used to come by to hang out with us in our small kitchen. Being a durian lover of many years (I was introduced to the “king” while living in Thailand 20 years back), I often had a durian cracked open & ready to eat. Being the gracious host, I always offered my handsome suitor a piece of the creamy stuff. The offer was always turned down. Being somewhat persistent, I would plead for him to have “just a taste” as I knew that he would eventually develop a taste for it. So, squeamishly he’d have a taste, plugging his nose of course. That was 3 years ago. These days, my dear husband fetches durians from Chinatown on his very own and rarely does he ever turn down a bowl. 
todays food log:
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2 ozs e3live
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firewater
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small handful of chlorella
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pineapple juice with Vitamineral Green
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2 TBSP bee pollen
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24 ozs green juice (kale, carrot greens, burdock, celery, cucumber)
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pineapple juice with Vitamineral Green
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1 nori roll
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bowl of spinach soup
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3 clementines
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durian
yesterday’s food log:
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2 ozs e3live
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firewater
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pineapple ginger juice with Vitamineral Green
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2 TBSP bee pollen
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1 apple
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small handful of chlorella tablets
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1 liter green smoothie (mache, parsley, sunflower greens, alfalfa, chia, banana)
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sauerkraut, avocado, nori
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durian
