Durian

Durian is a tropical fruit. It has sharp spiny prickling hard shell cover. It smells pungent, tastes fleshy and is very potent. One has to get the acquired taste to like it or love it. My late mother and some of her siblings used to eat durian with their meal, like eating meat with rice. My siblings and I on the other hand used to share and eat it like halo-halo by mixing it with lots of ice and milk and sugar, as our dessert.

Durian used to be seasonal and costly but now a days you can have it all year round and costs less. I am not as fond of durian like my siblings and other relatives. The fruit is believed to be very potent and I easily get migraine and sore throat. Until now I have to drink lots of water after eating it to keep my balance. There are stories about people getting sick or dying from stroke after eating durian. On the other hand, there are stories about it as antidote for dengue fever. It is said to stimulate the production of blood cells. It is also thought to act as an aphrodisiac. I don't pay much attention to folk tales but I don't like getting sick, aside from the fact that it is difficult to pry open the hard covering. To open one, you have to use a butcher knife or bolo. I hate to hurt myself because of it.

My husband and I seldom buy durians. Most of the time, they are given to us by customers from Upi or Lebak or Parang where durians are plentiful. These days they are given to us by nephew Eugene who traverses from Davao to Cotabato. But these few months, I have been eating more durians than usual because of the bountiful harvest this year that makes them really really cheap. Because of it, as I don't turn down gifts, I have become adept at opening the hard shell. I have eaten more durians recently than the past 3 years combined. My husband and I are trying  to control our intake though. Each time we open one fruit, we would eat 3 pieces of the flesh and store the rest in the freezer. But I tell you, it is even more delicious and tasty when frozen. It is like eating ice cream. Yum, yummy. Now, I have to worry about my cholesterol and weight gain. Hehehe.