Prince William no fan of ‘king of fruits’
Posted on September 15, 2012, Saturday
OFF TO KOTA KINABALU: Prince William and Catherine arrive at Bunga Raya Complex at Kuala Lumpur International Airport before leaving for Kota Kinabalu which is one of the stops in their four-day visit to Malaysia. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Britain’s Prince William declared yesterday that he is no fan of durian, the spiky and notoriously pungen t Southeast-Asian fruit, after sampling it on a visit to Malaysia.
The future king and his wife Catherine were served durian, revered in the region as the ‘king of fruits’, during a welcome lunch with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak after their arrival Thursday for a three-day visit.
But during a luncheon yesterday with business executives here, he quipped: “I’d just like to say how delicious lunch was, but I was delighted to see that durian wasn’t on the menu.
“Having tasted it yesterday, I feared for the safety of the people I met thereafter,” he said, causing the crowd of more than 1,000 business figures to erupt in laughter.
Durian is popular in Malaysia and neighbouring countries, where it is prized for its distinctive flavour. But many are disgusted by its powerful odour and the fruit is banned from various venues and some public transportation in the region.
Britain’s younger royals are touring the globe throughout 2012 as part of celebrations marking the 60-year reign of William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
They are now on a nine-day trip that started in Singapore and will move on this weekend to the Solomon Islands and later Tuvalu. — AFP
<< Previous Entry - Next Entry >>
