They try a durian and live to tell

FYI, don't eat it, or any other candy from China, Mexico, etc.

The labels often have lead on them, and (for example) in Mexico pickers/farmers are paid by weight. So guess what they do to make the bushels heavier? Yep, lead. And guess what the companies do to make candies? Mash up everything in the bushels.

Few years ago, there was an epidemic of lead poisoning with mexican children- it was candies. Example:

http://www.cehca.org/candy.htm

The durian is supposedly considered an aphrodisiac among people in southeast Asia. To some an odor; to others a perfume; to still others a pheromone.

When I travelled to Bangkok many years ago, I was told that the durian was banned from being carried onto buses -- probably not just because of the smell, but also the danger that one might break and be as difficult to clean up as a skunk.

You know, it's a fruit, it isn't like you're eating cow brains or chicken spleen. This is why we have social problems, because stupid 'cracker' American attitudes being vented openly with third grade style commentary.

Here's a big shock to some of you stinky liberals -the whole world doesn't eat hotdogs, pizza and burgers. Here's another one...eating chinese food doesn't make you cosmopolitan, nor does eating any trendy places from a far off land. This sort of nonsense should stay in the obscurity of some douchebag's blog.

This is coming from someone like me, who is a picky eater and won't touch fish, but I've actually been to other parts of the world and wouldn't act like a child because a fruit is a bit smelly.

Grow up.

Pho Pasteur (now Le's or Le's Formerly Pho Pasteur or TRFKA Pho Pasteur In Harvard Square or whatever) offers frozen shake-like beverages in a variety of flavors. The avocado shake was nothing to write home about, but man was the durian shake an experience.

Freezing mitigates the smell, so the shake seems rather innocuous when it arrives at your table. The color is industrial carpet beige. It looks nice and smooth. It is full of lies.

The first taste is all you really need. It starts off kind of nutty and sweet, and you foolishly declare "Hey guys, this isn't so bad" before realizing that there's an aftertaste approaching. And it's horrible. The nutty taste turns sour and bitter right there on your tongue. You can taste the goddamn thing fermenting, right then and there. And you gotta be strong and not give away the HORRIBLE SECRET to your friends, because they're next up to have a taste and you don't want to be the only one who suffers through it.

And it only gets worse as the shake melts.

Anyway, try it once. Just to say you can and then write about it on someone's web site. But get a group of friends in on it so you don't have to finish the darn thing yourself; the "this milk is sour, you taste it!" novelty factor will help... but only briefly.

J. once got a durian smoothie at Pho Lemongrass. I did not yet know about the durian smell. He did. Soon I wondered why the bar area smelled like onions, but worse. Then the smell followed the server right to our table! I was horrified and nauseous. He made me try it. I held my nose to try to blunt the smell/taste. It didn't work well enough. The small sip I managed to gag down reminded me of onions smothered in dirt and manure. But I lived to tell. J. has never ordered another durian smoothie, though he threatens to buy one every onc ein a while at Super 88.