Wednesday, May 14, 2008

eating culture/eaten: Mystery Cambodian Ice Cream.

After a lunch in the seaside town of Kep, we were passed by a man on a bike. Our attention drawn by the clinging of his bell, we noticed that he had a blocky orange cooler strapped onto the back of his bike. We stopped him, and ordered one ice-cream each. Instead of the frozen popsicles we had been expecting, he took out a long white block, set it onto a small wooden cutting board, and sliced it neatly into sections. Sliding each one onto a bamboo skewer, he handed them to us.

As he chimed off on his way into town, we walked back to our guesthouse, taking licks of the ice cream as it melted in the afternoon heat. We had assumed it was just coconut ice cream, but we instantly detected a strange, subtle flavor. After a minute, we realized what it is: the infamous durian, which is currently in season. Though the fruit has a flavor most visitors find abhorrent, when mixed with the creamy ice cream, it offered just enough of an unusual, exotic flavor.

4 comments:

tangobaby said...

There is an ice cream shop near us that makes and sells its own durian ice cream. I was not brave enough to try it because I got a whiff of it first, but The Boy took a taste.

I got the chocolate.

But I love your story and the photos make it even better.

kristine said...

interesting, I have never seen this. I mean, I have seen durian ice cream, but not served like this. must kep an eye out. loving your cambodia postings.

kristine said...

oh dear. that incredibly hilarious pun there was honestly completely unintentional. I am not (quite) that lame.

Denise Kiggan said...

What a delightful way to be served ice cream!