Within a few minutes of walking from where I live are three durian shops. By many accounts, these are among the best durian shops in Singapore. For a long time, I thought that I strongly disliked durian. Upon visiting the shop nearest to home, I discovered that not all durian is the same. Although I cannot tell what makes one durian better or worse than another, the guys there with the machetes can! If a new batch has recently arrived, as he surveys through the options, “he picks up the poor from out of the dirt, rescues the wretched who’ve been thrown out with the trash,” (Psalm 113.7) Most of the time it is not this extreme, although I struggle to see any difference between was is tossed as what is rated as the best.
Having tried highly rated durian as well as run of the mill pieces of fruit, the best taste different! Everything is better; creamier, less pungent than its siblings, and somehow it looks different. At the end of the day, it is the taste that wins the day.
The experience of eating durian is always better with friends. It is, at least for me one that only works with a group. Perhaps it is the group affirmation about what is good. Whatever it is, when those in love with the fruit eat it together, everything about the experience improves.
I have and find myself still looking for the nuances that make one piece a gem and other a candidate for extreme discounting. I know what it is not. Color is not the determinant. The density and shape of the spikes are not credible factors. Weight is not an indicator. Given the hard shell, nobody talks about how soft or hard, dense or light the exterior is when it comes to the good ones. Something in the combination of everything makes the difference and only those selected to be in the know seem to know.
When you are looking for the best durian, I know the place with individuals who pick the gems.
