photo: The king of fruits – Durian
Durian is an iconic Southeast Asian fruit. With its strong smell, unique texture, and spiky exterior, the king of fruits is easily recognized.
In Singapore, August is the most delicious and cheapest period to have durians. While the fruit tastes lovely on its own, restaurants have come up with peculiar ways of using it in dishes. One of the most astonishing uses for this sweet fruit is in savory dishes such as fried rice and hot pot.
Durian Fried Rice, as its name spells, is a combination of fried rice and durian. The rice is fried with bits of durian flesh. In some restaurants, seafood, scallops, and peas are fried together. Others pair the rice with grilled chicken. Some eateries have also taken this to the next level by serving the dish on the inner side of a durian’s husk.
Another unexpected combination is Durian Hot Pot. At the Four Season Durian Restaurant, this dish combines a pot of chicken-based broth with four sizeable chunks of durians. Like how hot pot works, customers can dip ingredients such as chicken, fish, tofus and vegetables in the soup to coat them with a layer of durian. Reviewers have shared that the soup tastes creamier and sweeter once the durian dissolves into the soup.
Besides savory dishes, the king of fruits is used to bake desserts such as the Durian Lava Cake. This creative mix combines durian puree, eggs, butter and flour. Bake for eight to 10 minutes and serve while it is hot. Slice through the cake and a rich, creamy mix of durian will come oozing out.