On my love for durian

Southeast Asia has been heaven for indulging my love of durian. This smelly 'king of all fruits' are plentiful in this part of the world. Back home, only on rare occasions do I get to eat durian because it is so expensive--nearly 20 bucks for a frostbitten, not-so-delicious durian. But here, there are durian stands everywhere. You don't even have to really go far to find one. Just follow that distinct stench. Sometimes, when I'm on the motorbike, a waft of the durian scent rushes toward my face and my mouth immediately starts watering. And then lo and behold, we pass by a durian stand a few meters ahead.

I don't understand people who don't like to eat durian. How can they not love the creamy, custardy taste of this distinct fruit? And the aroma? Divine! The more it smells, the better. I've heard people describe the smell as comparable to rotten eggs or vomit, but I have never smelled any of these scents from a durian fruit. Quite the opposite. The aroma is indescribable, yes, but that is why I love it so much.

The outer, spiky shell only adds to the exotic nature of this fruit. A drop of this fruit on a person's head can kill them. Delicious and dangerous--an awesome mix!
Durians here are expensive for locals standards, but cheap in our stands. A good durian can run about 100,000 Vietnamese dong--$5. And good is an understatement. Unlike the durians back home, it isn't watery due to being kept in a freezer for several months. Each fruit holds up firmly on their own, while remaining creamy on the inside.

When I went to Malaysia (a country famous for its durians), we stopped by a durian stand and gosh did I overindulge. I ate half a durian all to myself--8 ginormous pieces. It was sooooooo good, but I did feel a bit ill by the end.
Unfortunately, my love for durian is not shared by most people. The Vietnamese term for durian also reflects this sad truth. "Sau rieng," the Vietnamese word for durian translates as lonely sorrow. It is banned in all public places. This sign was posted in a subway station in Singapore.
Tran, a fellow durian lover is confused and saddened.

Well, what I say is the less the haters eat, the more durian there are for me. So, it's only your loss durian haters.

Here is video of my uncle cracking open a durian fruit. I love the sounds of excited wonder from all of us watching.