I love durians and there’s no better way of eating the king of fruits than to share it with like-minded fellow Singaporeans (all 350 of them) when the best durians are in season! The moment I got off the plane after my recent trip, I rushed over to the Durian Mobilisation 2014 at Telok Ayer Green Community Centre to get into the action!
The event was co-organised by the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) and prominent food blogger Dr Leslie Tay, of ieatishootipost.sg.
It serves as a platform for us to learn more about the different durian cultivars and to build new friendships with one another by bonding over a common love for the fruit.
We each brought our own mat for the picnic and I had a blast watching, opening and eating durians. Conversations flowed freely amongst everyone as they shared their preferences and favourite memories about durians.
It’s such a rare occasion to see strangers become instant friends and children enjoying the moment as much as the seniors.
I couldn’t resist the deep buttery yellow durian flesh and popped piece after piece in non-stop succession.
Even though I was busy eating, I still managed to learn some interesting facts about durians. If the husks are slightly brownish, it’s usually because these are grown on higher terrain slopes facing the sun while durians that are more green are grown on lower ground. To make sure that you don’t end up buying a fake Mao Shan Wang, it’s important to buy from a reputable seller. With that in mind, I silently noted the durian seller which supplied to this event.
We were also given mangosteen after our durian feast as it’s traditionally known to be able to reduce the heatiness.
Beneficiaries from The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund were invited to join in at the event and enjoy the durian feast with the participants. Part of the proceeds will be donated to charity organisations Goducate, which is a non-profit that seeks to provide a better life for needy children by empowering them with education, and Prison Fellowship Singapore, a charity that runs programmes to help prisoners and ex-offenders, as well as their families.
Food is a natural conversation starter and I’ve always enjoyed that casual bonding that takes place over a good meal. Personally, I’ve organised several cook-ins with friends and neighbours and I am inspired to do another one soon! Thanks for reading and have a good start to your work week!
