Fruit Royalty - Durian and Mangosteen

[Bob]

THE KING: Durians! I love them and I don`t think they smell.

The durian (IPA: [ˈd(j)ʊriən, -ɑn])[1] is the fruit of trees from the genus Durio belonging to the Malvaceae, a large family which includes hibiscus, okra, cotton, mallows, and linden trees. Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the "King of Fruits", the fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale-yellow to red, depending on the species.

THE QUEEN: Mangosteen - never had one that wasn`t packaged frozen. Heard they taste better fresh.

The mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a tropical evergreen tree, believed to have originated in the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas. The tree grows from 7 to 25 m (20-80 ft) tall. The rind (exocarp) of the edible fruit is deep reddish purple when ripe. Botanically an aril, the fragrant edible flesh can be described as sweet and tangy, citrusy with peach flavor and texture. Mangosteen is closely related to other edible tropical fruits such as button mangosteen and lemondrop mangosteen. Botanically, it bears no relation to the mango.

Information for both fruits from Wikipedia.


Discuss.

[Andz]

Durian: Tastes like heaven, but smells like hell.

I never tasted one cause I was scared to have bad breath ;D

Oh oh, and I've seen A LOT of hotels with "No Durians" signs in their lobby lol.

[BeanMarine]

Durian is definitely an acquired taste, but I personally like it. It's a shame that the smell deters so many people from giving it a chance--especially since the stronger it smells, the more ripe (and tastier) it is, haha--but everybody should give this delectable fruit a taste! It's very creamy and sweet~ and once you discover that you like it, you'll never have enough of it!

Which is a downfall, since durian isn't found in local food markets over where I live -__- *has to drive at least half an hour to Sacramento for exotic fruits*

I've never heard of Mangosteen before, though. It sounds kind of evil, lol.

[DemiGodDanzig]

ugh,i have a bad experience with durians
i was like 7-8 and thinking it would taste good,
i bit a mouthfull
ugh,i can still remember it now
/shivers

[WhatThePhuc]

my fam in vietnam has a durian tree
and my mom likes mangosteen

i don't eat either often

[khyle]

^ agrees with the smelly part of durian XD
* sells genetically modified durian w/o the smelly features * ;D

when one gets around the smell of durian, you should be able to enjoy Durian delicacies

there's a monthly promotion on Malls in patronizing local fruits and delicacies
I occasionally see tourists with a frown in their face when looking at those Durian stalls
the usual young Korean tourists usually are open to these fresh experiences and try them out
most people says the fruit tastes good, others are just turned off by the foul smell ;D

[Esperetta]

Lol durian.

My dad has a special nickname for it. He calls it Dead Mans' fruit xD
I've also heard the smell of durian being compared to stale sweaty socks.
But when I smell durian, it doesnt smell like anything to me, it just smells like durian. ._. Probably cuz I dont associate the smell to anything....

Oh and mangosteen, I love it. It doesn't smell and is soo sweet!! *-*
*drool*

[Sheep]

We brought Durian to class once.

Need I say more?
But yeah I didn't get to to taste it >: ( long story) AHH I heard it tastes like heaven, but smells dirty socks.

[Catharsis]

One time I had to lug a small crate of durian all the way from Cebu to Manila for my mom (plane ride + looong car ride). I placed them at the trunk of my car, and the smell seeped inside the car. It was overwhelming. @_@ By the time I got home, I was pushing down my lunch with sheer force of will. I tasted it, too, but didn't like it. >_>

As for mangosteens... We have trees of those growing on my grandma's yard. They're really wonderful eaten fresh. I couldn't imagine them frozen. @_@

[Vaizado]

I've had both before but I don't really like either of them .-.
The Durian just stinks and Mangosteen taste sour-ish.

[khyle]

I could imagine a riot erupting when you brought in to class that smelly Durian

[Bob]

Lol, I don`t think durians are smelly at all, but of course, I`ve been eating them since I was a little little kid so I`ve required the taste a long long time ago.

I really wanna try fresh mangosteen now, but I`ve heard you can`t get them fresh in the US?

[Mei]

I don't think durian smells that bad anymore, and I never associated the scent/odor with anything, either. I remember when I was young, I was watching a documentary on durians and a woman said it smells like a toilet. I laughed. Anyway, I think durian tastes like some sort of ice cream which is good, but I'm not obsessed like my mother.

Mangosteen... I've never heard of it until now.

Off-topic: I'm replying to a lot of food topics today.