“ I was searching for more of what the Davaeños has in-stored for their well-loved king of the fruits, I found a homemade Durian Ice
Cream.”
FOOD & CUISINE
“ I was searching for more of what the Davaeños has in-stored for their well-loved king of the fruits, I found a homemade Durian Ice
Cream.”
durian. Good thing the other two were better-tasting. The durian yema and durian pastillas that I bought were quite similar in taste. A slightly stronger Durian aroma than the candied type, but was richer in taste. The yema has a thin, smooth, eggshell-type layer with a chewy center while the pastillas was gooey all-over.
Next day, I went to one of Davao City’ s Coffee shops that made waves a few years back with its Durian coffee. Blugré located at Matina Town Square( MTS) serves two kinds of Durian concoctions, both in the creamy white hue. One was spiked with the Arabic blend and the other purely made with a thick cream. To be honest, at first I was hesitant to taste this marriage of durian and coffee, it took me four years since I first stepped into Blugrè back in 2006, a testament that I am not much of an adventurous eater back then. With one sip of this durian brew, I became a believer. The
aromatic roasted coffee beans blend well with the distinct durian aroma, though the latter never overpowers the former. It was a complimenting blend every epicurean will enjoy, durian lover or otherwise. Durian-based creations at Blugrè do not stop with its famous coffee blend as I get to order a slice of Durian Tart. The top resembles an apple
Durian Roll crumble in texture, though the color retains the durian shade which is more on the creamy white and a thin layer of crust much similar to the buko pie crust of Rowenas Café in Tagaytay City. These two envelops the durian filling in between and
Durian Cake
( Left) Durian Ice Cream,( Above) Durian Pie,( Center) Durian Coffee
masks the flavors of this rich fruit. For novice eaters, this may be one of the best choices to gradually be introduced in the world of durian.
Next stop is a 39-year-old institution, Cecil’ s Snack Inn & Bakeshoppe, Inc. where their Durian Pie has been awarded last December 2009 by Inquirer Lifestyle as having one of the 24 Best Desserts in the country. Virginia G. Sanz, one of the siblings of the late Rosita“ Inday” Cecil Guino-o, was the creator of the durian pie. Having a traditional flaky outer crust and a thin layer as base much like a buko pie, the yellowish cassavalike pie, though it is a bit thicker in consistency embodies the true taste of a fresh durian. For those who are still getting used to the taste of durian, I recommend a milder version – Durian Cake and Durian Roll both having the same taste with the exception of the latter which mimics a log. The light chiffon cake gives a subtle rendition than the durian pie.
With all these delectable durian creations that I have experienced, my durian mission is far from over. As I leisurely walk heading to the entrance of Doña Vicenta Village in the Bajada area, I noticed a sign that says“ Durian Ice Cream for sale.” It was such a serendipitous moment I thought, just when I was searching for more of what the Davaeños has in-stored for their well-loved king of the fruits, I found a homemade Durian Ice Cream. Durian ice cream maker Josie Cartago, proprietress of JBDC Durian Pasalubong Haus eagerly showed her durian concoctions from yema, rolls and ice cream. She even created durian-combi, of what I call to her durian combinations with mangoes, marang and mangosteen. I never imagined combining these three fruits to durian would create a more delectable durian feast. Josie learned from her durian courses that this fruit can very well be mixed with other complimentary fruits, giving out a more delicious creation without overpowering the other fruit.( JBDC
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