Durian candy from the Philippines
Durian. Ever have it? Heard that it’s an acquired taste. It scares me. I’ve seen it at the Asian grocery stores, and I’ve only seen it being eaten on Food Network. While durian might be a great fruit, the unfortunate part might be its smell, which then I would think affects its taste. Let’s say it smells like feet… at the end of the day… after wearing socks made from synthetic material that doesn’t let your skin breathe. Yeah, right? What would possess someone to try this fruit? But, there are people who eat it. If you can get past the interesting aroma, you are rewarded with a smooth and creamy fruit – I wonder if it’s like avocado in that sense? In Asian cuisine, it’s used in milkshakes, ice cream, cakes and candy. So… hiding the fruit in food masks the smell? Maybe.
I’m not opposed to trying things once, so when my husband’s parents came home with some durian CANDY, I thought, okay, it’s been sugared up and I’m not eating it straight off the tree. It’s a little less scary. Great. I took a small bite out of the already small bite-size piece and let the flavor melt in my mouth a little. Disappointment. Sweetened condensed milk and sugar with durian could not convince me. I could still taste feet-iness. I wanted to like it, really. I even wanted to fake liking it so my husband would try it. Could you imagine, “Hey, honey, this is sooooo delicious. Try it!”
Found some takers for our two bags – My mom, dad and aunt were happy to have a taste of home.
Tags: candy, eating, ethnic, grocery, handcrafted, Philippines, travel, trying new food
March 19th, 2010
Hi Julie! I wanted to touch base with you and see if you would be a guest on our radio show to talk about your awesome zen doodle activity. can you email me at your convenience.
Thanks,
Beth
March 19th, 2010
I happen to like durian. The smell is quite strong, true, but the taste I think is delicious.
I actually recognize the brand on the durian candy picture you posted. Haha. There are lots more products made from durian like durian tart, durian bar (haven’t tried this one yet), and even durian ice cream. Whenever I buy them, I always want to smell the durian so that I know there’s more durian in there than sugar.
March 19th, 2010
Hi, there! I love the link to the Apo ni Lola durian candy. When my family visits the Philippines, I promise to try it again. Maybe it’ll be better. There is also a Filipino ice cream shop near us, and they carry durian ice cream. I do hear people enjoy it. Do you make durian milkshakes, too? Thanks for visiting and for the comment!