Video of Aussie opening durian expertly wows Malaysians
KUALA LUMPUR: Although hardcore durian lovers abound, many — even Malaysian ones — are all thumbs when it comes to the thorny art of slicing open the beloved fruit.
So imagine the surprise of Southeast Asian Netizens when an upstart, blue-eyed, blonde Westerner appears online and schools everybody on the proper mode of unlocking the tantalising innards of the King of Fruits.
The Caucasian in question is Simon from the fruit store Fruity Fruits 88 (its name does give it away) in Woodville, South Australia.
Simon is a star of sorts, often appearing in the store’s Facebook videos introducing new fruit arrivals with great enthusiasm (he strikes us as the Steve Irwin of fruits).
But it’s his latest video — in which he acquaints cowering Australians with a Malaysian variety of durian grown in Darwin — which has gone viral.
It’s not difficult to see why: Simon opens durians like a boss.
Explaining and performing the procedure with the finesse of a master chef, Simon’s “mad skillz” leads to the unveiling of the fruit’s hidden bounty, at which he remarks:
“Oh my God! This is gorgeous. Now that is beautiful!”
Simon’s how-to video has mesmerised Netizens — many of whom are giving him “major props” for opening durian “the civilised way”, despite being a “foreigner”.
“This is the first time I’m seeing a white guy opening a durian — and he’s doing it correctly,” blurted stunned Facebook commenter Mazli Murshid.
“Amazed that this Ang Moh knows how to (properly open) a durian. In some parts of Europe, they chop it like a watermelon!” said Azzah Zahirah Aziz.
Simon’s durian-opening skills aren’t the only reason Malaysian and other Southeast Asian Netizens are fangirling and -boying over his video — the Westerner, many of whose counterparts give the stinky King of Fruits a wide berth — is an unapologetic durian-phile.
After popping a clump of durian flesh in his mouth, he flashes the “OK” sign and says effusively: “That is absolutely delicious. So sweet, and tasty. Very, very nice!” Now that is a man of culture. Do as Simon says, durian lovers!