Penang Red Prawn

Red Prawns Red Prawns... are you flesh water or marine??? Will I get to see you when I go diving?

Penang's durian have always been much rave about on how good it is.  How about Penang durian grown in nearer States such as Johor?

The soil properties, terrain and weather is different down South from North.  This year's El Nino weather phenomenon may have changed things.  Besides, the wetter period, after El Nino strikes a balance, where there are ample supply of water, yet doesn't cause the soil to be too wet.

I had seen this Penang Red Prawn sold at a particular stall in Hougang but brushed it aside as just another namesake.  But... well, as a fanatic, I still needs to sink my teeth into it, to be convinced if it's worthy or just fad.

I took this large fruit, slightly above 2 kg.  When it was opened, I thought, it's a paler shade of orange, yet a little bruised look. It was very soft, wrinkled, all the sights of a durian I typically love.

I ate 2 sides and packed the remaining 3 sides home for next morning (as breakfast). Don't envy me.

The first piece that sank in. My eyes lid up. It was as I desired, bitter with a mild hint of sweetness!  It's everything nice, strong distinctive character... I'm lost for words how to describe the taste. Should I say,  the blend of bitterness from XO,  kum kum taste of D13 and the shiok aromatic factor of Tekka?  Goodness, I'm bought!

I'm awed! OK I'll eat it again.  After all, Tekka season is almost over.

Just a final note.  Some consumers loves their durian dry, but I love mine soft and somehow I'm happier if it's wet too (not as in, water droplet wet, but wet flesh).  Thus, this durian is not for those who wants their durian dry. Dryness is alienate here. I am convinced it has to be soft and wet. I'm in love. This is Durian Orgasm.

This particular Red Prawn I had is definitely worth 8.5-9 out of 10!

(I love a good durian that is nearly over ripe, where it is really wrinkled, soft and wet, where the flesh almost slips off the seed upon being picked up.  Ever insisted with a durian seller to sell such a durian to me, which he refused, as he said, it's over-ripe... hell NO! That's my fav!

An almost over ripe durian has the strongest character that the particular durian would be. It just gives me that knock out punch a great tasting durian delivers. That's me...)

Durian Season Taste Test - Aug 2016

---------- 17 Aug 16 ----------
After resisting MSW for the last few weeks, and focusing my desires on Tekka, I finally sank my teeth into MSW last night (17 Aug 16).  I wanted Tekka still, but since they finished selling, the seller suggested I try MSW.  As he said, this new batch is good, with a strong assurance.  He knows my taste.

It wasn't a large fruit, since I don't want to pack home.  I asked for a mid size fruit, but he warned, smaller fruit means lesser flesh/seeds, which I'm ok with that.  I'm not into quantity!  My simple logic is, in a single durian, if there are 5 seeds, the nutrients and whatever feeds that goes into the durian, is spread to 5.  If there are 15 seeds, it is spread to 15.  Quality would have dropped with more seeds.  Oh well, that's me.  I prefer to have the omph factor than the oh (so full) factor, but... like my personal quote goes "The stomach is full, but the soul is empty".  I hate that!

Coming to this particular MSW.  It was about 1.7kg and there are 7 seeds in it.  All seeds are flat!

The flesh is consistent in color tone, deep rich yellow.  The texture is soft and glossy, which some would refer to as, wet!  If you want a strong tasting MSW (or many other durians), bitter, flavourful, it is usually soft or nearly wet.  The softer the better.  Have you ever tasted an awesome XO that is dry???  

It taste...... WOOOOOOOoooo the MSW that I like, 80% there, little presence of that kinda 'coffee aroma' factor. So yes, though it taste so damn good, it just came close to my perfect MSW (the 'coffee aroma').

People living elsewhere (from Singapore or Malaysia) but craving for durians, the Malaysia durian is in season.  It is likely to last till October this year.  But right now, I think it's good time to eat durian.  Fly on in.  


---------- 19 Aug 16 ----------

Just did a taste test on sellers claim of "Penang Red Prawns".  

Shall not describe much here but in a new post since I've not done any on the infamous Red Prawns.

In summary, I'm bought! It's that's a large fruit weighing about 2kg or sometimes heavier. But for the roughly 2kg fruit i had, there were about 15 seeds with rich tasting flesh. It's money worth.

That's going to be my chase for the next week or 2, while stock last. I'm sure this Red Prawns won't be for long, since it's quite new and not many plantations in South end of Penisular Malaysia grows it yet.

---------- 21 Aug 16 ----------

Am I sounding like I'm eating durian almost daily?  Well, literally, since last Wednesday and till tonight, 5 nights running.

Latest I tried, D2.  It's got that pleasant easy to like taste, bitter with mild sweetness after taste.  Easy on the platelet.  Each fruit is about 1.2-1.5kg only.

Also tried Tai Yuen (or Black Pearl) last night.  The flesh is sticky, I wonder if it's going down or staying in the throat, yet the bitter-sweet isn't strong, but easy.  Aroma is nice.

Tonight, I'll go back to D101 (packed 1 home last night).  Will give my tummy and waistline a few days break after tonight.  It's just so sinful.

Kun Poh

I was told last year, Kun Poh and Wu Zi Guo (Five Fingers Fruit) looks similar but are different.  I don't know.   I had Wu Zi Guo in July 2015 and fell in love with it, for the smoothness and 'grown on you' kind of quality it presented.

Just recently, 10 August 2016, I was lured by one of my trusted durian seller, whom called to tell me, "I got 2 odd durians, suspect it's Wu Zi Guo and Lao Tai Po".  So I made a trip down.  The outlooks of both durians, one looks like a Wu Zi Guo but the other, well, a little like Lao Tai Po, but dubious too.

My trusted seller told me,
-  Durian 1 : it's either Wu Zi Guo, otherwise it will be Kun Poh.
-  Durian 2 : Could be Lao Tai Po or D17, which I doubt it's D17 right from the start.

I brought both durians home, whole.  Fridge it overnight before opening it the next day.

Kun Poh or Wu Zi Guo?
Upon Opening, the color and texture of the flesh doesn't look like Wu Zi Guo, so I took a photo and verify it with the seller.  He said it should be Kun Poh.

Wu Zi Guo has soft texture, with the milky beige color look, while Kun Poh is yellowish orangery in color.  Texture is also firmer and dryer.

Visual

The exterior shell is similar with Wu Zi Guo, having that sectional look, with a pointy 'backside'.  The thorns are tough and rough, firm and kind of ugly. 

Texture, Taste, Aroma (Flesh)
The color is orangery yellow, but not as orangery as D13, Red Prawn, D101, etc, yet not near yellow like MSW.  It's just a...cross.

The flesh is rather firm and dry, a little closer to Thai durian, but minus the crunchiness bite.

The taste is mild, with a simple nutty taste.  Generally, light bodied, mildly sweet mildly bitter.  It's not the general taste of Kun Poh (since I didn't have choices to choose from but just 1 odd piece), so I'll leave this as is.

This one piece of Kun Poh, I'll give it a 3/10.  Not saying it's not good, but this particular piece isn't able to let me conclude anything.  Given a chance, I will try it again, so I can have a better idea what it is actually like.

Photos

Heaty Remedy

Chinese medicine tends to establish our general health into "heaty" and "cooling" (not exactly sure of the proper TCM terms).  

Heatiness leads to fever, sore throat and the likes.  Cooling leads to weak health where our energy is weaken, probably feels cold in our lungs too. (I'll try find out a little on these another day).

Food and fruits and it's weighing on our health includes cooling and heatiness.  Durian is said to be one of the most heaty fruit while Mangosteen is said to be cooling.  There are many fruits that falls into either of these brackets.

Why do people associate durian as heaty (no I'm not challenging it)?  I'm sure some of us knows or heard friends saying they gotten a sore throat the next day after eating durian the night before.  But is that necessarily heaty effect caused by durian?  

Using some logical balance.  If we consume durian shortly before bed, there will still be some durian flesh lodged in our throat.  The 'fermentation' while we sleep, will cause the throat to feel inflamed the next day.  It is natural.

The 'trick' to try and avoid a sore throat the next day, it is better to consume durians hours before bed and wash it down with water.  If it is taken too near bed time, there isn't enough fluid to wash it all down.  That bit stuck in the throat is what is causing the problem.  Try it!

Even when we drank too much beer (some claimed it is cooling, but I am almost convinced it is not), do you get phelm in the throat the next morning?  I do.  So, to what extend is beer cooling?

Coming to mangosteen.  Is it really cooling?  An extract from another site shared some insight.

THE FACT is there is NO scientific proof that mangosteens can reduce heatiness

THE VERDICT: Honestly, mangosteens had a limited effect in countering “heatiness”. It was just our minds trying to psyche ourselves that they did. We experienced a “heaty” feeling a few hours later.

According to conventional Chinese wisdom, a mangosteen, being a cooling fruit, will reduce the heatiness associated with durians. However, there is no scientific research to support this. The habit of eating durians and mangosteens together probably stems from the fact that the two fruits are harvested at about the same time.

https://says.com/my/lifestyle/eating-cooling-fruits-like-mangosteen-will-cool-you-after-eating-heaty-durians

Now, let's say you are feeling a little heaty.  What can you do about it? Some cuts down on heaty food  (eg fried food) and drink more water or some falls sick and take medicine.  My personal remedy, mini bitter gourd (called Bitter Melon in the West). Not the full grown ones but the baby ones.  Not that full grown ones doesn't work, but I think the mini ones works better.

Bitter gourd is a vegetable so it is unlikely going to be too cooling for health, but it effectively purge heatiness. Only problem is, not that many can accept the taste.  Learn to!  It brings a host of benefits to our health.  (happened to watch on TV, mini bitter gourd juice [as in, using juice extractor] is good for diabetic).

If you have access to mini bitter gourd, all you need is 4-5 pieces of mini bitter gourd, de-seed and do a few slits across.  Boil (approx 2 liters water).  Once it started boiling, add 1 teaspoon of salt and leave to cool. Drink like you drink water daily.

Try it. This is my own remedy which I use every time I feel heaty.

To sum it up.  

-  If we approach this from scientific point, a lot are unproven.  So, do we take more to the side of Science or Traditional Believes?

-  Both durians and mangosteens are high in calories.  

    ~ Durians are said to contain 50 calories per seed while 

    ~ each whole mangosteen (approx 100g) contains approx 60 calories.  

    ~ Do take it in moderation.

No wonder my diet never succeed.  DIET = DIE Trying!