Singapore is a melting pot of different cultures, what with its history as a nation built on the hard work of migrants. Working in Singapore requires a multitude of communication skills, and intercultural communication and interaction is an integral part of Singapore society.
The consumption of durians is something that almost all Singaporeans can identify with.I would like to share about one occasion where I had brought back several durians to my laboratory and several new European colleagues were present.
Having gathered everayone at the open area outside lab, the Asians were happily opening the durians. The curious Europeans amongst us came out to witness the consumption of the strange looking spiky fruit. Given that these were wild durians, they did not smell as nice as some other varieties. With our encouragement, I was glad to see the Europeans try the fruit for the first time. Given the smell and the rather slippery texture of the fruit, I must imagine that they may have thought they were eating something rotten. Also, I have seen American reality shows like Fear Factor in the past where the durian was presented as something disgusting. I was therefore impressed by how sporting they were for not complaining too much and popping the entire seed into the mouth.
We all had a good laugh at the grimaces on their faces after they had finished with one seed each. They responded to our queries of how it tasted with forced smiles, and hastily beat a retreat upon our offers of more seeds.
There is no conflict here to be discussed, rather just a situation whereby people of other cultures were respectful enough to try something offered by their “gracious hosts”, even if it seems revolting. This is something which I myself practise, where I will show respect to my hosts’ offer of their local delicacy even if it is something I dislike.
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Hello Christopher
You present a very common sight that is seen when westerners try durian for the very first time.
In this case, I think that the factor that shows this difference in behaviour is the difference in preference and perception between two (or more) cultures. Perhaps westerners are brought up to perceive that anything that gives off a smell similar to durians are unpleasant. Whereas in Singapore, it is a very common sight (and smell) to see durian sellers at almost every market during the durian seasons, and thus we may be more accustomed to the smell.
Thanks for brining up the scenario as I do believe that this occurs frequently in Singapore.
Regards
Hannah
P.S. I like durians too. 🙂
Hi Hannah,
To be honest, not all of my lab mates like durians. I do get objections here and there when I bring some back from my field site. Granted, these are the ‘wild” variety and are not a fragrant as the ones we get from markets, hence they are not as popular. Also, you get the odd caucasian who finds durians absolutely delicious. I guess it really depends on the individual, though the environment we were brought up in plays an important role.
Regards,
Chris
PS. Maybe we can have a durian party at the end of the sem, lol.
Thanks, Christopher, for this post. The “sharing” of this particular fruit is a noteworthy example of a cross-cultural observation because, like Hannah mentions, it shows a clear difference in “preferences and perceptions” inculcated during childhood. I’ve taken durian to Ohio and the reaction was visceral, so indeed your guests were good sports.
Hi,
I enjoyed reading this blogpost because I can really relate to this. From the first time I smelled Durian I thought it smelled terrible (I don’t mean to insult you guys who likes it), and I still do. Even though, I have tried it. I’m too curious not to! I believe my grimaces on my faces were as funny as your colleagues faces at the laboratory.
I think that trying different kind of local delicacy is one of the charming things with cultures. I really appreciate when someone wants to show me what the locals usually eats.
We have one dish in Sweden that is comparable with Durian. It is called “Surströmming” and the english translation is Fermented Herring. This can maybe be an even more surprising experience for foreigner to try, because even some people in Sweden dislike it. Personally I love it, but I can agree that the smell is not tempting. I think the whole population in Sweden can agree on that. If you one day are coming to Sweden you should try it. The worst thing that can happen is if you can’t finishing your crispy bread with surströmming you have to share meatballs with the children who hasn’t learnt to like it yet. It’s not too bad!
Now you got a bit of a swedish food lesson. Please let me know about something more than Durian I should try here in Singapore before I go home to Sweden in may.
Have a good weekend Christopher! See you in class at tuesday.
Sofie
Hi Sofie,
I’m sorry to hear you say that you didnt like it. Perhaps your first experience wasn’t with the correct variety, given that different varieties emit a different smell and have different tastes and textures. You should try the mountain cat king variety, which has smoothest texture and the most potent smell. It tastes great, actually. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most expensive types. But I would recommend it to you before you go back to Sweden.
Since you asked, I might as well recommend the laksa from queensway shopping centre and the porridge from Maxwell food centre in case you want to try some other types of food before you leave. If you need a guide, I’m sure many Singaporeans would be glad to bring you and anyone else around to eat. After exams of course.
Cheers,
Chris