Recently Rob and I were sitting at a durian stall, contentedly licking our fingers after a pretty epic durian meal. We were feeling satiated and content, but the ladies who’d watched us eat were worried. They pursed their lips, shook their heads, and thrust durian shells full of water at us. “They’re worried about you […]
Wai Durian Stall in SS2 | Kuala Lumpur
This is Mr. Wai, the affable owner of a durian stall in Kuala Lumpur where I spent the first Friday night of 2015. The stall is just one of a clump of three or more durian restaurants in the SS2 area, an area that has always managed to confuse me while at the same time […]
10 Most Delicious Durians of 2014
It’s been another year of durians, guys. Time is passing so quickly I’m worried I’m going to wake up tomorrow and find myself 90 years old with high blood pressure (which means I couldn’t pound durian. Oh no!) Where’d the time go this year? If my photos are any clue, we spent a lot […]
Red Durian Tempoyak, a Traditional Dish From Sabah (Recipe Included) | Kota Kinabatangan
The bus from Ranau dropped Jess and me off at Medan Selera, a small food court in Kota Kinabatangan on the east coast of Sabah. We were on our way to the Kinabatangan Nature Lodge, to see orangutans and elephants and all the beautiful wildlife that people come to Borneo to see. But we immediately […]
What Is Tempoyak? | Recipes
If fresh durian is said to smell like putrid flesh, overripe armpits, and fermented gym socks, can you imagine what it smells like fermented? Or what it tastes like? Fermented durian, or tempoyak, is a traditional condiment in Malaysia and Indonesia often mixed with coconut milk curries or pounded with chilies into a spicy dip. […]
Pasar Terbuka Pekan Ranau Durian Market | Ranau, Sabah
l I’ve known for years that Ranau town hosts a durian festival. I’ve just never been able to figure out when. It’s frustrating. So Ranau has remained on the back burner of my durian crazed mind, a geographical tease with the strong promise of some interesting durians and a dominant Dusun culture that I’d bused […]
Mount Kinabalu Durian, Durio Kinabaluensis | Sabah, Malaysia
The jagged peaks of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah shelters one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. More species of plants and animals can be found on these steep slopes than in Europe and North America combined, many of them uniquely evolved to survive the harsh conditions and metal-heavy soils of the mountain. Including […]
Vegan Durian Sayur Rebus – What To Do With Unripe Durian | Recipe
How disappointing is it to buy an unripe durian? Very. I can’t count the number of times I’ve hopefully clawed open a durian only to find a pale pod with the texture and appeal of daikon radish. But unlike the insanely spicy vegetable, unripe durian is edible and can be cooked into a number of […]
A Durian Hunt in Bangkok’s Green Lung | Phra Padaeng, Thailand
If you’re like me, you think Bangkok is really exciting. Then after two days you start missing the color green. An easy way to escape the city hustle and bustle for the day is to go to Phra Padaeng, a government protected expanse of small family fruit orchards and wetlands that somehow escaped urban development. […]
