“Among Chinese Singaporeans and Malaysians, many hold the belief that when Admiral Cheng Ho landed in Nanyang, he relieved himself in the jungle, and the steaming puddle of shit and piss evolved into the durian tree. To put it less elegantly, the mounds of flesh inside the durian resemble a row of little turds, resting neatly in a boat-shaped husk.” NatureSingaporeMalaysiaDurianMalayaCheng Ho Book:Durians Are Not the Only Fruit Source: Durians Are Not the Only Fruit
“The stories surrounding eating durians remind us that literature should incorporate low culture, bringing it closer to lived reality. These legends come not from the pens of the elite, but are assembled from the words of the masses, both written and spoken, passed from one person to another—the only way to create a text this deep and compelling.” Southeast AsiaPostcolonialismPostcolonial LiteratureDurian Book:Durians Are Not the Only Fruit Source: Durians Are Not the Only Fruit