If you’ve ever wondered how a durian looks like without its trademark thorns, wonder no more.
Last week, Alfred Tan posted on Facebook about a “foreigner friend” who apparently bought a durian for the first time in his life. Getting access to its fleshy, odorous insides, however, remained an enigma to the “foreigner friend”, even after steps were taken to remove the thorny shell. It all made sense after photos were taken— his “friend” had simply shaved off the thorns instead of actually hacking into the husk.
Of course, Tan might have crafted a tall story for the lulz and the viral clicks, and we guess he succeeded in getting thousands of likes and shares. The true source of the shaven-smooth durian is unknown, but the images appeared on the Facebook page of Malaysian radio station Sinar FM back on July 14.
While the dream of naturally thornless durians (who hasn’t had their legs pricked when carrying a plastic bag full of the thorny things?) remains a fantasy, one could always purchase these gigantic ones with their thorns carved out in Thailand by Por Pala-U Farm in the beach town of Hua Hin.
Over in Davao, Philippines, there’s a version of durian with nubby skin in lieu of thorns — a genetic mutation, according to the Year of the Durian blog.
Or if you want to enjoy durian without the pain of hacking into the fruits yourself, there’s always the abundance of durian-themed hotel buffets going on these days.
