Durian is often given the title The King of Fruits. It is the only real fruit that combines fat with sugar. Most people seem to either love it or hate it. The flesh is creamy like vanilla pudding and, to me, tastes similar to a vanilla custard. The durian fruit is most well known, however, for its strong odor, which smells quite unlike anything you've ever encountered. In the United States, Durian is often found frozen in Asian specialty markets...or at a fruit stand in a Chinatown near you! Sometimes, however, during durian season in the fall, one can come across a rare (and very expensive) fresh durian!

Be careful picking those Durians up, though! A Durian is an alien looking fruit covered in hard spikes! (In the Malay language "Durian" translates as meaning "thorny fruit"...) But when it is ready and willing to be consumed, it magically splits open as it ripens to reveal its soft, creamy inner flesh...

A fresh durian is magical and sensual, but durian also freezes amazingly well due to it's hight fat content. Sometimes, I even prefer to buy it frozen because frozen durians are consistantly delicious and frozen at their peak of ripeness and flavor. In most Asian Markets, durians are found in the frozen food aisle along with the other frozen exotic fruits, such as jackfruit and lychees,

Frozen Durian is by far the best raw food substitute for ice cream! Here's what I like to do:

~Take two pods (once you open one up you'll know what I mean...) of Durian from the freezer and put them in the blender (exclusive of pits, of course) . A thick cream will form just like ice cream! Put it in a bowl and top it with some shredded dried coconut and the chocolate sauce below for the best Sundae ever!

For the chocolate sauce: - 1.5 cups maple syrup (organic grade B, it's less filtered and darker which makes it richer in vitamins and minerals)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup raw carob powder
- 1 tbsp cacao nibs

Blend all of these up (I love the small, convenient but still powerful Magic Bullet blender) and you have an amazing chocolate sauce to drizzle on your Durian ice cream!

Sometimes, for the unaccustomed Westerner, the pungent odor, creamy texture and elusive taste of the Durian may take a bit of getting used to. To gradually adjust those lackadaisical tastebuds to this exotic, naturally delicious specialty this recipe works great!

~2 pods Durian
~2 cups orange juice
~water of 1 coconut (old or young)

Blend all of these to make an amazing thick and creamy Durian Colada smoothie!

The Durian is Not just another tropical fad fruit. Fresh or frozen the experience of a Durian, it's unique taste texture and pungent perfume, is not to be missed!