It all began with a pallid and tasteless pack of durian, a grossly off-season purchase made last June. The durian dud that it was thus ignited an insatiable craving for the spiky fruit but what followed was a series of well-intentioned but now horribly misguided purchases on my part. Let?s just say that from June to the end of August, I?ve never bought and tasted so many horrid durians in my life ? from the durian bought in Quezon province which took 17 days (!) to ripen, to another durian  that tasted like wet newspapers. There are some things in life you can’t un-taste.
That was truly the last straw ? I believe I shed tears of frustration at some point ? so I ask my Bin to take me to Bangkok. Someone suggested Davao but I?m told that there aren?t many of the fruit this year. Let?s be clear that my husband abhors durian, absolutely canNOT stand it, but he?s married to me and has no choice but to love me in sickness and in health and in all things durian, so off we go.
This is the first durian I buy in Bangkok, it?s from the Gourmet Market at the EmQuartier mall. The specimen on the left is Monthong, which translates to “golden pillow” in Thai. The most commonly found durian in Thailand but also its most important variety, it has a small seed surrounded by a large, thick, and velvety pulp. Fluffy in texture, almost like whipped crème brulee, it unites a subtle but seductive sweetness with captivating nuances of caramel and onion. The aroma of Monthong ...