Goyin

Goyin contains an ingredient that is derived from the fruit called "Durian." I haven't seen this fruit sold in the states but did see it sold by people out of the backs of their vans in Brazil. These salesmen often come from the northeastern region of the country originally, and tell stories of people getting seriously hurt from these fruits falling from trees.



They averaged the size of a medium sized bag of oranges and weigh probably around 8-10 pounds when fully ripe. They are known for their distinctive smell that is repugnant to the untrained nose, but distinctive and flavorful to one who has grown up around them. To me, they smelled kind of like a dumpster full of rotting fruit. Many Brazilians keep them in their ovens for storage to avoid the smell and to keep them in a somewhat dry environment.



The funny thing is that 80% or more of the fruit is actually not very edible. When you split it open, it seriously looks like a pod from the old movie adaptation of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." There is a remake coming out soon of that by the way, I think its called "Invasion." Classic story.



Anyhow, once you've opened it up, you kind of pluck out the seeds and this pulp that surounds it, which is the only edible part of it. The rest of it is just this alien pod that came from outer space and hatches when it lands near someone who is asleep so that it can come and reposess its body. Oh sorry, I digress again.



The edible part actually tastes like bubble gum to me. But what are the health benefits?...



In Malaysia, it is actually used to reduce fever by the indigenous people. Many also say it is a good source of carbohydrates (the good kind I guess), tryptophan, and proteins. Pretty rare to find all of those qualities in a fruit. Anyway, the more I learn about Goyin, the more impressive it is.