Mom Says I'm Running Away

Before Being 30:

May 27th is the day before my birthday (30 this year), but it is also Arthur’s birthday.  So the family of Wongs and their “Ang mo” (white man) headed out for a family celebration of him turning 56.  We headed to one of his favorite places to eat, the Turtle House, where they serve their namesake.   For dinner I enjoyed a variety of turtle based dishes (all farm raised) and some tasty frog legs. Much to my American friend’s delicate stomachs’ dismay, it was all quite tasty.

After dinner came something new for me, the family headed out to pick out some durians.  Durian is an exceptionally foul smelling fruit, with an odor somewhere between molding bleu cheese and sweaty gym socks, but it is supposedly delicious after you get over the funky smell.  Picking which fruit to buy is half the battle, and Felicia and her brother (Nick) rave about their mom’s ability at finding the right one. It is something of a Singaporean national pastime to select and enjoy this fruit, there are giant stands selling it all over the city. There are also laws that forbid you from bringing it on buses and trains because of the awful smell.

After a quick primer course in what to smell for in the selection process, I proceeded to stand there and smell a number of the fruits, much to the humor of the durian vendor (funny because I was white, not because I was smelling them).  We bought about 1/2 a dozen of the fruit including one I picked, which was subsequently approved by Christina.  Felicia and Nick were surprised that I could choose a good one on my first attempt.

After that we all piled back in the now foul smelling car and headed home to see how our picks rate.  We made it home, spread some newspaper on the floor and I was taught how to crack these guys open (it involves a giant cleaver and lots of leverage).  After a little work I was able to get one open and get a taste.  The verdict: it has a very pungent and robust taste that is multi-leveled like a good cheese or fine wine, definitely something you can become a connoisseur in.

By the way, any of you out there coming to Singapore for my wedding next month that want to try this, let me know and I will arrange it.

No Responses to “Durian Training”