Often dubbed the king of fruit, durian is an unusual tropical fruit that grows throughout Southeast Asia. A large spiky outer shell reveals a creamy, almost custard-like flesh, which, besides boasting a mildly sweet flavor, is notorious for being incredibly rank-smelling.
Highly nutritious and healthy, durian fruit goes well in both savory and sweet dishes, and it is used to prepare specialties such as durian cakes and puffs, durian ice cream or shaved ice, durian fritters, tempoyak (fermented durian), and lempok durian (a sweet candy with durian).
VARIATIONS OF Durian
Breadnut is an evergreen tree with very large leaves that’s probably native to Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Indonesia. The fruits are spherical in shape and covered in many short spines. The pulp is firm when unripe, but it turns soft with ripeness and it contains seeds that are similar to chestnuts.
When unripe, the fruit is sliced, boiled, and enjoyed in curries, stews, and soups. However, breadnuts are usually grown for their edible seeds, which are boiled, roasted, or steamed.
Water apple is a medium-sized evergreen tree that grows wild from India to Malaysia and Indonesia, and it’s cultivated throughout tropical parts of Asia, as well as in Africa and tropical America, but rarely. The fruits are wide and have a thin and waxy skin.
The flesh is white, crisp or spongy, with a mild aroma. The flavor is sweet in most varieties. The sweeter fruit varieties are usually enjoyed fresh or used in fruit salads. In tropical Asia, the young leaves are often used to wrap food before it’s cooked or steamed.
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