'Tis the durians to be eaten, fa la la la la la la la la

We were supposed to bird watch last Sunday, but the cats and dogs scared the birds away. So instead, we did the next best alternative to bird watching. Eating durians.

Durians are to be consumed very much like wine, a durian expert explained to us as he ripped apart a whole kingdom of durians.

You inhale its fragrance before placing it onto your tongue. Use your tongue and lips to devour the fruit, avoiding the use of your teeth (a la licking an ice cream, not biting). Savour its flavour and texture by twirling the supple flesh within your mouth before swallowing the soft bits. A value-for-money durian tends to be one that contains small deformed seeds (not to be swallowed).

According to the durian connoisseur, the tastiest durians look like the ones above; taut yet jiao jiao or curdled. Yakki agreed after sampling close to five kilograms of durians.

Specially brought in from the town of Tangkak, Malaysia, the showdown for the best durian type for the night was between 猫山王 (Mountain Cat King) and 竹脚 (Bamboo Leg). Both exhibited an optimal level of firmness, bittersweet symphony and conjured moans of taste bud sensations.

Everyone was overdosed with durians after more than 2 hours of non-stop consumption. But when a delicious-looking bamboo leg was split wide open deep into extra time, everyone sacrificed their already washed hands for that very last smelly moment.

With that, the bamboo leg kicked the mountain cat king off its feline throne.

Durians Credit: LC 439, Jalan Payamas, 84900 Tangkak, Malaysia
Photos Credit: {about} us photography