Ask anyone in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, which is the king of fruits and the immediate answer is usually always the Durian. The durian is a native fruit around South East Asia, very identifiable through the very sharp and hard thorns or spikes covering the entire body. Partly called the durian also because local Malay language, “duri” means thorn. So “durian” means a thorny thing, or thorny fruit.
If the hard sharp spikes don’t deter you, then the smell and aroma might certainly will. First timers have described the very pungent and foul aroma of a mixture of combinations of onions gone bad, old socks and blue cheese. At least in their opinion. For the rest of us durian lovers, it’s like the smell of sweet heaven.
There are plenty of different species of durian plants and most are edible. A durian expert can quite easily identify the type of durian via the color of the fruit, the shape and size of the thorns, the shape of the fruit, and distinctive marks on how the fruit looks like. For example, the ultimate favorite durian in Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Japan etc is known as the Musang King durian. This particular durian variety is famed for its very thick and creamy flesh, small seeds, incredible taste and flavor and can be easily identified via a star seam shape at the bottom of the fruit (as the picture above suggests).
After one opens the fruit, there are segments where the pulp is located and within the pulp are the seeds of the durian. We only eat the yellow pulp. Different varieties have different flavors. Some of the favorite varieties in Malaysia includes
Musang King - golden color pulp, small seeds, sweet bitter taste, very thick and creamy pulp
XO - A little pale color pulp, very soft, taste a little fermented and bitter, hence the name XO
Red Prawn - Almost yellowish orange pulp, sweet bitter taste
D24 - one of the most grown variety, golden yellow pulp, thick and creamy pulp, semi sweet taste
D101 - very yellow pulp, more sweet and less bitter than the others
and many other varieties.
Musang King is one of the higher priced durian in Malaysia and is mostly for export market.
When eating durian, most of us durian lovers just go for it. And shops nowadays offer disposable gloves so cleanup is much easier.
Some good facts about durians in Malaysia.
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There are 2 main seasons to enjoy durian. Main season late June to early September. Second season Dec to Jan.
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Durians are banned in hotels, flights, elevators, and most offices. Because the smell and aroma can linger for a few days and quite difficult to get rid of.
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Durians are considered very heaty, and one must drink lots of water after eating to prevent coughs and sore throat
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Most shops that sell durians also sell mangosteen as it’s a very cooling fruit
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Many orchards in Malaysia nowadays open their doors for visitors to visit and buy durians direct from them. Some even offer home stay services.
Some of the most popular places to eat durians in Kuala Lumpur / Petaling Jaya
Durian Man SS2 Petaling Jaya https://goo.gl/maps/sRU8FvMk31Q8KLrt5
Durian station SS2 Petaling Jaya https://goo.gl/maps/K8VYi1UXfAifCwT67
Sinnaco Durian Sec 19 Petaling Jaya https://goo.gl/maps/tjSxMGj3ver9955j6
Donald’s Durian Sec 19 Petaling Jaya https://goo.gl/maps/TmBaXkatPevQfqc96
and many more
Have you personally tried durians before? Share your experience here with us, love or hate.