FROM THE MICK SINCLAIR ARCHIVE |
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| Six easy steps to buying durian in Thailand | |
| STEP
ONE Go to the market and select your durian. The distinctive smell of the durian causes it to be banned from many tourist hotels. |
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STEP
TWO Watch the hard, spikey shell of the durian being cut open with a sharp knife to reveal the edible soft fruit inside. |
| STEP
THREE Once the durian has been cut, the two halves are pulled apart and the fruit placed on scales for weighing. |
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STEP
FOUR But first, the pale yellow fruit of the freshly cut durian is shown to the customer for approval. |
| STEP
FIVE The fruit is carefully picked from the shell, placed in a plastic bag and weighed to assess the price. Durian can be found in Thailand throughout the year but is particularly plentiful during May. |
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| Finally, the fruit is bagged and handed over to the customer. A passerby looks on with surprise that someone is actually buying durian... and that a Westerner could find the process interesting enough to photograph. | |