"They Actually Eat That": The Durian.

It's been a while since I did something besides a Creature Feature post. Have a new column!

While in England, an interesting column idea occurred to me: Besides nature having some pretty darn weird lifeforms, why not showcase some of the world's most bizarre foods? Cuisine is a staple of culture, and culture leads to mythology.

If anyone knows of some good Blogspot skins I can play around with, let me know.

This column is going to start pretty tame. Yes, I call a gigantic, spiked fruit that looks more like a weapon than a culinary delicacy 'tame.'

To the peoples of Southeast Asia, the durian is the king of fruits. It can be anywhere from 6-12 inches in diameter, and can weigh anywhere from 2-7 pounds. The fruit grows on tall trees, just waiting to drop on somebody's head and kill them.



Depending on where you come from, the durian is either delicious or disgusting. People in Asia love it enough to warrant murder, but foreigners generally think that it smells horrible. Since thoughts on the durian's distinct odor vary so widely, they are often banned in public places, such as hotels and public transportation.

Then again, we eat rotten milk (AKA 'cheese') on a regular basis. Should someone smuggle a durian into a hotel and attempt to eat it, the smell is usually explained as 'cheese' to Westerners. It's a matter of perspective; Asian cultures dislike cheese and love durians, Westerners love cheese and think that the king of fruits smells like vomit. Crazy!