myths and misconceptions

with regard to durians

myth number 1: the fruit is loaded with cholesterol

not only not true but also not correct. only animals and animal products have cholesterol; a durian is a fruit, so it is cholesterol free.

the good points about the durian fruit are:

no saturated fat
no cholesterol
very low in sodium
no sugar
high in dietary fibre
high in thiamin (vitamin b1)
high in vitamin b6
very high in vitamin c

(source: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/2088/2)

myth number 2: mixing durian and alcohol is lethal.

we have been told that eating durian and drinking alcohol like beer or whisky at the same time can cause death. there have been a few reports of people dying after eating too much durians but there is no scientific evidence to prove that the combination of the two is lethal. some who have dared to try it have lived to tell of upset stomach and of feeling fragile.

the belief can be traced back at least to the 18th century when rumphius stated that one should not drink alcohol after eating durians as it will cause indigestion and bad breath. in 1929, j. d. gimlette wrote in his malay poisons and charm cures that the durian fruit must not be eaten with brandy. in 1981, j. r. croft wrote in his bombacaceae: in handbooks of the flora of papua new guinea that "a feeling of morbidity" often follows the consumption of alcohol too soon after eating durian. several medical investigations on the validity of this belief have been conducted with varying conclusions. (source: wikipedia)

myth number 3: durians have eyes and they will not fall on your head

there are still people naive enough to believe this. i will definitely feel much safer wearing a crash helmet if i ever go durian picking/hunting. if it is indeed true, then there is no need for the sign "beware of falling durians". the fruit normally falls at night but some may also drop after a storm.

myth number 4: durians have aphrodisiac qualities.

some people believe that eating the durian can enhance your sex drive. the indonesians have this saying: durian jatuh, sarong naik (the durian falls and the sarong comes up) which seems to support this belief. as for me, i do not experience any 'gear shift' even after consuming a lot of durian; the libido remains status quo.

myth number 5: you can get rid of the smell by drinking water from the shell

quite a number of people i know have attested to the effectiveness of this method. after consuming the fruit, they pour water into an empty shell and drink it. some also believe that if you add a bit of salt to the water, it will reduce the 'heatiness' which comes after consuming lots of the fruit.

myth number 6: to counter the 'heatiness', eat mangosteens

another popular belief, especially among the chinese, is that you should eat some mangosteens - which are supposed to be 'cooling' as opposed to durians which are considered 'heaty'- after eating lots of durian.

myth number 7: durians with squirrel-made holes are ripe and tasty

i did not know that squirrels have the same taste buds as humans. i have seen unripe durians with holes made by squirrels at the durian loop, near the murnane reservoir.

myth number 8: you can tell a good durian by its thorns and shape

according to some so-called experts, you should pick those with short, firm and sharp thorns. you are advised to reject those with blunt and 'bendy' thorns. i have not really come across durians with blunt thorns. irregular shaped ones are preferred to those that are round.

maybe you have heard of other myths or other strange ideas about the durian. share with us.