DURIAN- THE KING OF FRUITS

When durian season is just around the corner, it’s easy to spot durian lovers stopping by the roadsides and enjoying their share for durians. There are only 2 types of people in durian terms. It’s either you love it or despise it. I am a fan, but my boyfriend is not. That’s cool, you know why? Because there will be MORE FOR ME! So, today I’m going to share with you on the right ways to buy the right kind of durians, and not the wrong kinds. So, if you are a noob just like me in selecting durians, you should really check this out!

STEP 1:  Check the weight

•        Make sure that the durian that you choose the light ones, not the heavy ones. Because the light ones indicates ripe durians. So avoid heavy durians peeps!

STEP 2: Listen to the sound

•         Give the durian a nice shake and listen to the sound wait for “hollow noise”. That’s the noise we are waiting for because they simply means they have ripe and has thick flesh of durian waiting for you to devour! Remember to wear gloves though.

STEP 3: Smell the durian

•        A good durian has strong smell. So you know it’s good when it hits your nostrils with overpowering smell of durian!

STEP 4: What is the correct way to open a durian?

•          To open a durian, cut along its seams. If you cannot find the seams on the durian surface cut off the tip of the durian to make the seams visible!
•          Make a V-shaped cut on the seams to open the durian and enjoy the king of fruits!

So now you have mastered the skill of selecting a fine durian as well as opening them in the right ways. Here’s a little tips for those who are a fan of durians but easily suffer from heat after enjoying a little too much of those golden goodness. All you got to do is just add some salt and water into the empty husk of durian and drink ‘em up! The salt water can help to reduce the heat of our body. Also, the strong smell of durian sometimes sticks to your hands even after you have washed your hands. Use the water that flows through the durian husk to get rid of the smell. Enjoy devouring your share of durians people! See you soon!

Unusual Moon Cake

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone! The best part of being a Malaysian is you get to celebrate every single festival no matter you belong to which ethnicity! Since it’s the mid-autumn festival today, I am going to share some unusual (virtual) moon cakes that you can get in Kuala Lumpur! So, shall we?

In The Westin Kuala Lumpur, you can get Red Tea Coffee Black Raisin, exactly like the beverage version of CHAM, mixed beverage of tea and coffee. A perfect blend of both that delivers a light and fragrant taste. Unique? Yes. Second bite? No thanks.

This is a personal favorite of mine. Mini snowskin chocolate with Dulce de Leche praline, almond and hazelnut. What a long name! This intensely dark chocolate is mixed with espresso. Well, this is the type of moon cake which you either love it or hate it. The caramel overwhelms the bitterness and can be taste slightly. Otherwise, the snowskin is some of the smoothest to slice through, and gives you a soft, tender bite. If you are a fan, head over to Shangri-La hotel Kuala Lumpur now!

Another favorite of mine is from Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur, White chocolate with lychee filling and chocolate caviar. The white chocolate skin is pretty hard and will only break with a hard crack of a spoon, but once the shell is break open, the dark chocolate filling is creamy, and oozed out like a truffle. You can taste a tinge of lychee in the middle of the chocolate; however it’s the chocolate that shines! Complete yummers!

Next moon cake comes with bright yellow color; this one will make the perfect gift! These petite sized moon cakes are called as Mini snowskin with passion fruit cheesecake from Prince hotel. As you sink your teeth into these cute little moon cakes, the passion fruit comes as shocking but once you find the cheese, the blend of sweet and savory gives the moon cake a sweet balance.

One of the prettiest moon cakes that I have seen this year. Moët & Chandon Rosé Imperial Champagne Mini Ping Pei from The Ritz Carlton Hotel. A super sweet filling of lotus is nicely wrapped in soft snowskin. The rose taste is very light but gives a nice sour edge to the moon cake.

Woah, that’s a whole lot of choice! Where would you be buying your moon cake from this year? No matter where you will be buying your moon cake, remember to share it around with your friend, kick back and relax by enjoying the glamorous full moon tonight. After all, that’s the core reason the festival is all about. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival all!