But no matter how hard I searched, I still couldn't find any fruit that was as satisfying as the taste of my homeland, making me miss Binh Phuoc even more, the sunny and windy homeland that I had been away from for so many years.
In May in Binh Phuoc, when the streams are about to dry up, waiting for the rain, the young coffee and pepper fruits are densely planted on the branches, and the first fruits of the durian season begin to fall. According to my mother, in the early years following the new economic group to Binh Phuoc, my parents often worked for a neighboring gardener. One day, by chance, while working for the garden owner, they saw a tall tree with thorny fruits. My parents were curious to see what kind of strange-looking tree it was. The garden owner, who was originally from Binh Duong, generously gave my parents a few bites to try, then leisurely explained: "This tree is called durian, a familiar fruit tree of the Southerners. You two are from the North, so it seems a bit strange, right?"
Holding the soft, golden durian segments, my parents gently tasted them and found them to be richly sweet and aromatic. This made them even more determined to grow their own durian garden.
Durian is a fruit with a unique flavor. Those who love it will be extremely passionate, but those who are not used to it will easily shiver with fear. Although not everyone can adapt to the taste of durian the first time they enjoy it, if you try it, you will feel the unforgettable flavor.
In early summer, the first rains of the season in Binh Phuoc became more and more frequent, causing the durian trees to grow tall. After a while, the trees began to bloom. When the durian flowers were in full bloom, they were as fragrant as grapefruit and areca flowers. Occasionally, at night, when a light breeze blew by, the petals would gently touch the ground, turning a corner of the garden white.
When it was just getting dark, my parents prepared their luggage including a flashlight to illuminate and a soft brush to sweep pollen. My father often said that pollinating durian trees is not difficult but requires meticulousness and great perseverance. Not only are durian flowers quite small, but there are old durian trees, the flowers grow in high positions and are difficult to see, my parents have to climb the tree and carefully examine each branch, using a pole to be able to pollinate all the flower clusters.
However, the effort is always rewarded. After only a few weeks of blooming, the flowers will begin to bear fruit. The young, dark green fruits cling to the branches and gradually grow in the sun and wind of the Southeast.
Ripe durian fruit usually falls at night, so gardeners often wait until morning to search each tree and find countless fruits. Usually, just lightly chop the top of the fruit and open it, inside the layer of thorns will be clearly visible the smooth, golden flesh, imbued with a captivating aroma.
When we were still at home, my brother and I were often given a basket by our mother to go around the garden, looking for ripe durians that had fallen. The durians that the children carried home had to be clearly classified. The big, plump ones, weighing more than 1.2 kg, were called first-class durians and were most welcomed by traders. Next were the smaller, crooked ones with unevenly plump seeds, which were classified as "second-class" and sold at lower prices. The ones that were cracked or had many mold spots on their skins could not be sold.
Durian in those years often did not sell for a good price, so the farmers put in a lot of effort but sometimes did not get much. Not to mention the erratic weather, the monsoon blew heavily, causing the branches to split, and the green fruit fell all over the ground. We children gently used a knife to cut open a few young fruits, separate the segments, and remove the flesh to stir-fry with scallion oil. In addition, the thinly sliced young durian seeds were also very fragrant and delicious when stir-fried.
Over time, the status of durian has also been increasingly enhanced. Durian is not only a typical gift bestowed by nature on my sunny and windy homeland, but also contributes to improving the lives of the people.
My heart is filled with memories of my childhood, where my parents and family were together and the enchanting scent of durian. I suddenly want to catch a bus back to Binh Phuoc, sitting next to my parents in the lush durian garden.
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