Saturday, 7 July 2018

Kapili , Xiao Hong and Green Skin durians - Balik Pulau trio



Kapili , Xiao Hong and Green Skin are durian species that are not too expensive , sometimes worlds apart in taste , to tease out that durian connoisseur in you .

The island is in the midst of a bumper harvest and prices have reduced a little , but I never take my chances nowadays , so I only trust this little secret place now .
Howeverrrrr , if you want to know the exact location from me , move along and don't waste your time because my lips are sealed .

Anyway , yesterday was when we delighted in savouring the trio of different species which I shall attempt to describe the taste and texture to you , best as I can .


1. Kapili 





White in colour , looking absolutely unappetizing and dishevelled , with an uncharacteristically very thin outer shell , the first bite will come off as rather bland before it builds up in sweetness and by the 3rd seed , you will attain a semi state of euphoria , as it tastes as if someone soaked the flesh in brandy or a sweet liquor and let it dry under the sun .
Because this durian is exceptionally sticky and dry , more fibrous than other species , you have to eat with care or you might choke ! I'm not kidding ! 
Exceedingly gassy and heaty , it is not advisable for you to have any conversation after because your breath will smell like cooking gas on high afterwards . Really !

All that inconvenience and risk ....is it worth it ? Once you've had your first Kapili , you will look forward to the next encounter , that you will be willing to put up with a hangover like headache the next day after you wake up even .

2. Green skin 



It turns out that I have an eye for picking out good durians which is rare for a lady indeed . But I still won't know what species it is until the farm hand tells me .

I've described the Green Skin before and we eat it now more often than others because it isn't as gassy nor heaty and the taste is what you would expect of Balik Pulau durians .....memorably delicious and good to the last finger that you lick down . 
Massive hill development has affected that icy cold feel to it and it shows ! It doesn't feel icy cold anymore which tells me that the rivers have either dried up or been diverted .

3. Xiao Hong 



A durian that is not for the beginner .
Also , you really need to eat it quick as it will disintegrate into a mushy messy blob upon contact with air , the instant you lift it out .

With every mouthful , you get a slight  hint of raw onions and when you wash it down with water , there's a very tiny bit of  wasabi sting to the tongue .
It was also sweet with a nice layer of membrane close to the seed itself which I enjoyed .
( Compared to the Kapili it was almost impossible to separate from the seed ) .
Once the compartment is pried open and the durian comes into contact with air , it acts like melting ice cream and if you're not careful , it could fall like a blob onto the surface below . Eat it fast as you can .
Very , very filling , now that took me by surprise . It was nice , that is provided you don't mind the onion taste .

If you placed all 3 before me again , I'd eat them in this order ....
Xiao Hong , Green Skin , Kapili , because I always prefer to save the best for last and while the Green Skin is growing in popularity and demand , the Kapili IS good and I do look forward to the next one ! 



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