Iranian tourist gives durian a try and is hooked, but not his wife

First encounter: Ali enjoying the durian while his wife Mitra looks on.

GEORGE TOWN: Iranian Ali Mehraban, 32, was swimming in a hotel pool when his nose caught a “strange, overpowering scent”. Near the open-air coffee house was a crowd feasting on something that gave out a pungent smell he had never known.

It was the Mini Durian Carnival at the Flamingo Hotel by the Beach in Tanjung Bungah here and Ali's first taste of a durian.

“If I had thought about it a little longer, I don't think I would have eaten it,” said Ali, who decided to give the King of Fruits a try. His verdict: “It's delicious! So sweet and creamy. Once I ate it, it doesn't smell bad anymore.”

Ali's wife Mitra Hazer, 31, however, refused inspite of Ali's best efforts to convince her. “It smells like onions, unlike any fruit I have ever known,” she said.
“I love fruits and I like trying out new things. But this is different,” she added.

Guests from Hong Kong, however, donned gloves and wielded the knives themselves to get to the fruits. “We came to Penang just to eat durians,” said 53-year-old Ho Chi Keung. “Penang durians are famous in Hong Kong.

“We took a five-day holiday package, which included a durian buffet at an orchard,” he said, adding that he spent HKD4,000 (RM1,600) for the package.
He said in Hong Kong, it would cost him HKD140 (RM56) to buy a box of Musang King durians containing eight or nine arils.

More than 20 guests took part in yesterday's carnival, which included a durian buffet and challenges such as “durian eating”, “counting of durian thorns” and “guess-the-durian-weight”. The guests were treated to five variants of the fruit Hor Lor, Ang Heh, Ang Bak, 600 and durian kampong.

Hotel sales director Low I Yin said the durian season contributed to almost 900 room nights a year for Flamingo. “We team up with travel agents in Hong Kong to promote the package,” Low added.

The hotel's 3D/2N durian feast package includes a tour to a durian orchard in Balik Pulau, followed by an all-you-can-eat feast.
-thestar online.