Nate Dog in the house!!!

Nate came for a visit and we got down on some of God's fruit (mangoes) and The Devil's fruit (Durian). This was the first time I had ever had Durian that was TOO ripe and it kinda tasted like this sweet, stinky oatmeal type thing. It wasn't terrible but we didn't finish it and my house smelled for hours. Anyway here are some photos:

Fruit Tasting Video Premiere

Can you catch the Cambodian Fruit Madness bug?

Here's an exclusive video on Drew and Jeff's first fruit tasting extravaganza. Jenn also joins our fruit experts for some delicious fun

Place: Street 830, Phnom Penh - front porch
Time: Saturday? Sunday?
Music: The String Quartet's Tribute to Radiohead
Atmosphere: Perfect

Thai-like mango

I'm not 100% clear on what the seller said, but I think she told me that this mango is common in Thailand, but she was selling ones that were grown in Cambodia. I do recall having one of these in Thailand, and it was pretty bad. She was selling these unripe mangoes at about 4 for $1.

Notes:

---Jeff---

This mango really exceeded expectations. It was firm, tart, sweet, and had a lot of interesting flavor. I could go for this again in the future.

• Smell: Very "herb-like." Reminded me of the smell of the "Koh Rodeau," but with less fig and more tree-like smells.
  
• Taste: Sweet with an excellent sour balance. Taste includes plant-y smell.
  
• Texture: Firm and crisp. Also leaves a slightly powdery sensation on the tongue, but this is quite pleasant.
  
• Color: A dark sea-green on the outside, and white (with a very very faint yellow tint) on the inside
  

Small durian

This small durian was purchased in Koh Kong at a market for 7000 Riel ($1.75). It is much smaller than the previously tasted variety, and has tightly arranged small spikes. The color of the skin is bright green mixed with a yellow hue when riper. These seemed to be relatively fresh (judging by the look of the skin and the stems)

Notes:

---Jeff---

This durian was very disappointing. I think we were partially responsible for not insisting on buying a stinky one, but the lady selling it told us it was ripe, but it was not. There was hardly any characteristic durian smell, and the meat was tight and hardly sweet.

• Smell: faint durian stink. fairly fruity
  
• Taste: Not particularly sweet. Reminded me of a sweet potato in some respects (grainyness, dryness, sugar levels)
  
• Texture: Firm and fibrous. Sort of vegetable-like
  
• Color: a light, shiny yellow. Generally light in color
  

Plai P'new ("Guest Fruit")

I forgot to ask the name of these small orange fruit (edit-- they are called Plai P'new or "guest fruit" for a literal translation). They were purchased for 3000 Riel/kg ($0.75) in Koh Kong, which seems to produce a large amount. The fruit contains one or more small, smooth, transparent, soft fruitlets inside the 3mm thick skin, which is soft and white. There is one rather large seed per fruitlet.


Notes:

---Jeff---

This fruit seems to be a favorite for Cambodians when snacking. It's very refreshing, with a good blend of sour and sweet. There is a slightly odd aftertaste which makes my teeth feel funny and dry. It's not a favorite of mine, but it's very "approachable"

• Smell: faint flowery smell. Not too remarkable
  
• Taste: Sweet and sour. Sweetness predominates, but strange aforementioned aftertaste also affects taste. The white part in the middle is sort of tasteless and slightly astringent.
  
• Texture: Very soft, but with a fibery build that tends to cling to the seed. Somewhat tough to get a "satisfying" bite since the fruit has to be worked to get all of the meat away from the seed
  
• Color: Outside is yellowish, inside is clear with white veins. Some varieties seem to have red insides.
  

Sey Moan

These lychee-like fruits were purchased in Koh Kong (15 minutes from the Thai-Cambodia border) direct from the farmer for 2000 riel/kg (a very cheap price).

Notes:

---Jeff---

These fruits have a pleasant aroma, but the overwhelming feature is "tart." Very sour, but very refreshing. Not too similar to lychees, despite similar appearance. Has a large central seed

• Smell: lightly fruity and flowery. Pleasant.
  
• Taste: Intensely tart. Similar to the tartness of the strange orange fruit in that it begins to "burn" your taste buds after a while.
  
• Texture: Juicy, watery, somewhat attached to the seed
  
• Color: exterior and interior are same as lychee (red and clear/white)
  

Vietnamese fruit

I recently came back from Vietnam. I have to say, Vietnam has nothing on Cambodian fruit. In the north they have decent mini-peaches, but they don't have mangoes or durian. Why even try, Vietnam?

Also, it should be noted that Thailand might have many varieties of mango, but almost all are bad. Way too sweet.

Vietnam had a couple of interesting fruit that Cambodia does not, including mini-peaches, weird green things that look like longans, custard apples (i think), and mini-mangoes with flat seeds. I tried a few of each, but nothing was very remarkable. I have a newfound respect for the quality of Cambodian fruit.

Until next time...