While I was in HK, it seemed to be peak season for durian; the popular fruit that is so odiferous it is banned from public places including subways, malls, hotels, and even some businesses. Fruit stand workers commonly open them up, divide the fruit, and wrap the sections in plastic wrap to sell "ready-to-eat." The market streets were heavy with the stench of this fruit. Travel and food writer Richard Sterling writes in his book The Traveling Curmudgeon:
... its odor is best described as pig-shit, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Southeast Asia.
By my last day on the island, I could barely stomach a stroll through these streets.
Durian: Spiny and center stage.
Aside from the stink, Asian fruit stands are beautiful. Click photos to enlarge.
I actually don't mind the smell of durian at all. I'm a bit disturbed by this because I think my lack of problem with durian stems from the fact that on this trip I've smelled about a million things that smell worse. I'd rather be on a truckload of durian for all day and all night, then on a bus for an hour with 50 kilos of tiny dried fish next to me. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteThose tiny dried fish were on my breakfast plate one morning in Singapore. I could not deal with and hour of 50 kilos by my side.
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