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Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward

nytimes.com

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Re: Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward

#141

Post by eythian »

3131s wrote: post #72

I live in Cambodia where all of these fruits are available, and more. I like every fruit mentioned, except salak, and eat many of them every day. This author comes off as a deeply uncultured American giving a generic impression of a drunken 3-5 day visit to SEA. There are so many errors in this article it's unreal. Jackfruit does not have a "jagged sheath" (that's durian). Dragon fruit is only mushy when it's badly b…

> Durian does not "stink of death".

I once went to a durian place in Malaysia. As we approached (they hadn't told me where we were going, it was a surprise), my first thought from the smell was that perhaps there was an animal dead off the side of the road.

Tasty though.

Re: Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward

#142

Post by pvaldes »

legitster wrote: post #33

This isn't exclusive to exotic fruit either. In a trip to central Washington, I bought a flat of Pluots (plum/apricot hybrids), and they were one of the most profound things I have ever eaten. So sweet and juicy, they almost burst like water balloons when you took a bite. Less than four hours away from where they are grown, I have yet to find any varieties with the same magic available in grocery stores. They good on…

yep, Pluots (and Atemoyas) are serious candidates

Re: Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward

#143

Post by pvaldes »

foobiekr wrote: post #70
mjklin wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Virginia we have pawpaw fruit that taste like custard, but must be eaten soon after picking since they bruise very easily and don’t store or ship well.

Pawpaws are nothing compared to their better cousins in the Annonaceae family, and in particular the Cherimoya. Downside; they all contain annonacin, which may cause Parkinsons. [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annonacin

Very interesting, we talk of eating three thousands of fruits at year in any case. I wonder how the new hyped varieties of pawpaw would score.

I really appreciate your contribution. Thanks.

Re: Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward

#144

Post by Nursie »

nerdponx wrote: post #135
rcpt wrote: post #76

These are all pretty easy to find in Los Angeles, New York, and the Bay. How many other things do you see if you actually venture to SE Asia? Central America has all kinds of things that I never see here, eg. canistel or black sapote, as well as variants of mango, corn, and banana that don't sell in the US.

Jackfruit is pretty uncommon in NY City outside of specialty Asian markets. Durian even moreso. Dragonfruit exists mostly as a frozen smoothie ingredient, although you can get it seasonally as well. Lychee is somewhat available seasonally, longan never or almost never. And I've never seen a Pomelo outside of SE Asia.

I can buy Pomelo at fruit shops and at least one fruit stall in the middle of a mall here in Southampton, UK. It's strange what travels to some places and not others.

I bought one a few years ago and was disappointed at the small amount of grapefruit-ish flesh, not realising how people actually eat them (candied peel and pith) in parts of Asia.

Re: Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward

#145

Post by esquire_900 »

blago wrote: post #114
esquire_900 wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does smell, but by far not as repulsive as the smell of actual death (rotting meat).

It's called Hyperbole and it's generally accepted in everyday speech and travel writing. Also, don't assume that you know how it smells to other people. You don't.

It is a hyperbole; that's exactly the point that 3131s is making. It is a (quite extreme) exaggeration, and therefor factually not correct.

I might indeed make some assumptions about smell. Though having smelled both durian and rotting carcasses on multiple occasions, I find it unlikely that there are people that would find durian as repulsive as rotting meat. The smell of death literally turns your stomach (and makes you vomit in extreme cases). I've never heard someone throwing up from the smell of durian.

Re: Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward

#146

Post by blago »

esquire_900 wrote: post #145
blago wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's called Hyperbole and it's generally accepted in everyday speech and travel writing. Also, don't assume that you know how it smells to other people. You don't.

It is a hyperbole; that's exactly the point that 3131s is making. It is a (quite extreme) exaggeration, and therefor factually not correct. I might indeed make some assumptions about smell. Though having smelled both durian and rotting carcasses on multiple occasions, I find it unlikely that there are people that would find durian as repulsive as rotting meat. The smell of death literally turns your stomach (and make…

> It is a hyperbole; that's exactly the point that 3131s is making. It is a (quite extreme) exaggeration, and therefor factually not correct.

We all know when we see hyperbole, but we learned even less from the terce "refutal". That was my point, as well as "nitpicking".

Re: Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward

#147

Post by nkurz »

jelliclesfarm wrote: post #57
legitster wrote: post #33

This isn't exclusive to exotic fruit either. In a trip to central Washington, I bought a flat of Pluots (plum/apricot hybrids), and they were one of the most profound things I have ever eaten. So sweet and juicy, they almost burst like water balloons when you took a bite. Less than four hours away from where they are grown, I have yet to find any varieties with the same magic available in grocery stores. They good on…

Flavor Queen and Flavour king varieties. I grow both at home and at the orchard. More profound to me are the European gage plums and esp the lovely yellow mirabelles. I also planted medlars and can’t seem to find anyone interested. Medlar Jam is sublime.

> I also planted medlars and can’t seem to find anyone interested.

I made a medlar sorbet once, which was good but not great. But the single best scientific paper I have ever read is about the medlar. I happened across it on the new periodicals table at my college library, and had never seen anything like it. After reading it, I spent a long time thinking it might be satire, and that the fruit didn't actually exist. It was only years later that I finally had one. Summary and details of the paper here: https://www.jstor.org/stable/4255177. Send me email if you'd like a copy and can't find access online.

Re: Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward

#148

Post by nerdponx »

Nursie wrote: post #144
nerdponx wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Jackfruit is pretty uncommon in NY City outside of specialty Asian markets. Durian even moreso. Dragonfruit exists mostly as a frozen smoothie ingredient, although you can get it seasonally as well. Lychee is somewhat available seasonally, longan never or almost never. And I've never seen a Pomelo outside of SE Asia.

I can buy Pomelo at fruit shops and at least one fruit stall in the middle of a mall here in Southampton, UK. It's strange what travels to some places and not others. I bought one a few years ago and was disappointed at the small amount of grapefruit-ish flesh, not realising how people actually eat them (candied peel and pith) in parts of Asia.

Interesting, I never ate the pith, but I haven't traveled Asia extensively. I ate the fruit in Vietnam topped with salt and chili powder.

Re: Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward

#149

Post by atomi »

3131s wrote: post #72

I live in Cambodia where all of these fruits are available, and more. I like every fruit mentioned, except salak, and eat many of them every day. This author comes off as a deeply uncultured American giving a generic impression of a drunken 3-5 day visit to SEA. There are so many errors in this article it's unreal. Jackfruit does not have a "jagged sheath" (that's durian). Dragon fruit is only mushy when it's badly b…

Dragon fruit is pitaya, native to Mexico and central America https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya

I don't know when the branding changed but I'm willing to bet some form of biopiracy was involved in the trade.

Re: Eating Thai Fruit Demands Serious Effort but Delivers Sublime Reward

#150

Post by Nursie »

nerdponx wrote: post #148
Nursie wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can buy Pomelo at fruit shops and at least one fruit stall in the middle of a mall here in Southampton, UK. It's strange what travels to some places and not others. I bought one a few years ago and was disappointed at the small amount of grapefruit-ish flesh, not realising how people actually eat them (candied peel and pith) in parts of Asia.

Interesting, I never ate the pith, but I haven't traveled Asia extensively. I ate the fruit in Vietnam topped with salt and chili powder.

Actually one reason we may see Pomelo here is that the universities in this city attract a lot of Chinese students, and there are a number of shops and restaurants that have sprung up to cater for them.

How it's eaten does seem to vary by country. I've never tried the pith either, but would like to sometime!

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