Eating durian is an experience like no other. In Mintal, durian trees abound, so, in durian season, Mintal will welcome you with a waft of durian’s scent: pungent as the jackfruit; addictive as rugby; and, strong as coffee. My favorite variety, Arancillo, is like a balled porcupine, with shades ranging from olive green to khaki depending on the ripeness, is usually no bigger than a basketball. Although the physical appearance of durian is daunting, its taste makes up for it. Eating the “aril”, or the flesh of durian, is like reveling in a roller coaster ride. Its amalgam of milky sweetness and slight bitter taste explodes in the mouth like a bottle of soda that’s been shaken; its sticky and soft consistency matches up with a soft sweet potato; its long lasting aroma rivals with the scent of “tuyo”. You can gobble up every durian in sight, and still hunger for more, simply because you can’t forget its scent. It’s like ambrosia some say, but it’s more than that. While eating durian can transform you into a god from a mere mortal, it is also the perfect example of yin-yang. It’s not as bitter as ampalaya or as sweet as sugar; but it is created by nature to complement each taste such that one can’t function without the other---this is durian’s distinctive bittersweet taste. Come to Mintal, and taste the fruit favored by the gods.
Divina Amor J. Germina
