"Tis' the season to be jolly."
Yea, X'mas is fast approaching and many are getting ready with festive goodies. A foodie like me may say: "Tis' the season to be heaty." And I am getting ready with liang teh and salt water.
Of course, I am referring to the durian season! Other than the Barclays Premier League (football) season that commences every August, this has got to be the other most anticipated season for me.
Photo Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian
I had a conversation with my mummy about how it wasn't too long ago that we last tasted durians, but tell that to my tummy, it would have seemed like eternity.
I tried to contact my regular supplier at a makeshift stall in Ang Mo Kio, but I was disappointed each time. You see, he only runs his business when there is good harvest and when the price is good enough for him to make some extra cash.
As the hunger for durian grows each day, I finally pestered my friend enough for a lobang (good deal) that he once had. It was a deal that he had to purchase durians in bulk, from a plantation in Pahang. The purchase has to be in the form of large baskets and each basket would weigh 50 kilos. The price for each durian would be significantly cheaper than most durian stalls but there would also be a significant risk since the durians are unopened and some may not be up to standard. I gave in to my craving and rounded up a few of my friends and relatives to try.
The delivery was due yesterday. I had to travel a few km to receive them. As the driver of the delivery truck was not familiar with SG roads, delivery could not be made at my residence. Other than arming myself with boxes, gloves, plastic bags and cash, I also had to bring along my mummy who "boleh cakap melayu" (conversant in Malay language).
The delivery was smooth and swift as the driver unpacked the durians from the baskets and re-packed them into my car boot. The boot was so full, it contained a good 90 durians. Of course, it smell very full of one heavenly aroma too. One that a durian lover would certainly crave for. Till now, I still wonder how my daughter would sit in the car and not complain vehemently.
As I opened the durians last night, I had the same feeling of anticipation that I used to have when I was a young kid, unwrapping the X'mas presents that stood in front of me. Each time I opened one durian, my eyes lit up, seeing the bright coloured Mao Shan Wang (Musang King) durians nested nicely in their place. It was a beautiful sight to behold. To my negligence, I had forgotten to take a snap of this moment. Thankfully, my cousin did.
Photo Credit: Keith
A picture often tells a thousand words. I shall complement that with just a few of my own. Each seed was soft and creamy, though I felt was lacking slightly from the usual Mao Shan Wang buttery taste. I checked the base of the durians and I saw the star shapes, so they were authentic. Perhaps, the ones I got were the more bitter ones. And it is no wonder I felt intoxicated by the strong bitter seeds.
Actually, I was surprised when I tasted both bitter and sweet seeds from the same durian. Is that common? I need to ask around. To be honest, my preference for durians are the slightly sweeter ones, but still I wallop 10 seeds at one go. I must have craved for it far too long. And I slept like a baby last night too!
My friend, Danny and his family who loves durians, commented that he had the "heaty sensation" instantly as he felt his "throat burning after the first 2 seeds." "Good grade" and "thick flesh" were his other feedback. Another friend, Joseph said it was "really solid" and "worth the $$$". However, there was a friend who unfortunately received 3 bad ones, ones he said were inedible. This is the risk that I mentioned about. Purchasing from durian stalls can more or less guarantee durians bought are of a certain standard. Those that are found rotten, stale or not ripe will normally not be sold. Since we purchased by the baskets directly from the plantation, it would not be possible for us to ensure that.
Nevertheless, it was a good deal and I would be purchasing again this weekend, for a JC friends' family gathering. For now, after all that makan (eating) and fun, I better disinfect and get my car cleaning done.
