Feyma made a post on this blog the other day about fruits. She mentioned that she does not like Durian, but that I love to eat Durian. It’s true! I really enjoy Durian. When we are driving past a fruit stand on the road, I like to roll down the windows so that I can smell the great fragrance of Durian!
Great fragrance? I know some of you are puzzled by this. Durian is said to “Smell like hell, but taste like heaven.” I find, though that once you get used to the smell, you tend to like it. I know that I love the smell, I find it refreshing. Yes, when the Durian is opened up, the smell is very strong, and the sheer strength of the smell can be somewhat of a turn off, but I quickly get used to it. Going past a fruit stand with dozens of Durian which is yet to be opened, though, is quite refreshing in my opinion.
Did you know that Durian is called the “King of Fruits.” It’s true. Durian is also said to have an aphrodisiac affect on those who eat it. In Thailand they actually have Durian Farms where you can go. When you enter the place, they have dozens or hundreds of Durian to choose from, and you make your choice of the fruit that you wish to have. Next, you move to another room where there are dozens of women, you also choose the one that you prefer. From there, you take your Durian and your lady to another room, and let nature take it’s course! It’s true. I have never been there, but I know people who have! I’ve already made my choice when it comes to women, my only problem is that Feyma does not enjoy Durian!
Did you know that there are literally dozens of different varieties of Durian? And, each of them has a very distinct taste, they vary in texture as well. My favorite varieties of Durian are Puyat and 101. Puyat is very common, but 101 is more unknown and is harder to find.
Davao is also known as “Durianville” because it is sort of the Durian place of the Philippines. I guess you can’t really be a true Davaoenyo if you don’t care for Durian! Although Durian is available throughout the year, the best Durian can be eaten during the Durian season from August to about October or so. During that time, expect to pay P30 to P40 per kilo for Durian in Davao. In other parts of the Philippines, it is more expensive, as it is primarily grown in Southern Mindanao and must be imported to other parts of the country.
Oh yummy. I cant wait until my visit to Davao on August. I hope it is still durian season.
Hi Bobby – Durian season starts in August, so your timing is perfect!
Bob
to be honest i am not really brave enough to try Durian, the rumours of its horrific smell put me off, but after reading your blog i will try it now, no need to be so timid however….. balut (sp?) no way…..
rick
Hello. Just left a message on Bobs blog about this stuff, should have viewed 1st.
We stayed in the Marco Polo hotel and toured a little of Davoa.
Yes Durian is lovely and the smell outside the the Malls on the stand was quite nice after a while.
What was that Mall Guisane? can't remember but there were quite a few malls there and a Durian farm on that really long road we went on. Ingat Ka
And there is a large Durian sculpture at the Davao airport.
smells like hell taste's like heaven…..someone lied !!!!!
Actually I don't mind it but prefer the best mangos in the world….philippine mangos !!! Me order of arrival in MNL, $6 message, 4 ripe mangos, mango freeze with 2 shots of Tanduay 15 yr poolside….aaahhhh looking fwd to my usuall chair pool side at City Garden Makati !!
In our experience, it takes most people about three tastes of durian to develop a liking for it. A good first exposure is durian ice cream, which capitalizes on the sweet and creamy aspect. I usually tell people, "Notice the creamy texture, and think of it as an onion dessert. Keep an open mind!" We love the stuff!
Hi Bob,
Durian is my favorite fruit. Of course, you can't have it for dessert in a fancy restaurant because you have to eat it with your bare hands. Even if you try using a fork, the taste isn't the same (you know what I mean).
I remember in college, living in a dorm in Manila, my parents used to send me frozen durian. My dormmates from Mindanao would follow the strong smell and show up at my door wanting some, while the girls from Luzon and Visayas would be covering their noses, running away (and cursing me for sure) 😉
These days, when vacationing in Davao, I usually buy about a dozen durian and have a feast. I eat till I drop. I can have durian for breakfast, lunch and dinner. How's that for a Dabawenya? 😉
Hi Rick – Almost everybody I know who says that don't like Durian has actually never tried it! Be brave and give it a try! Try it more than once too, as it can take a few tries before you overcome the smell factor. I'm with you on the balut!
Hi Graham – Yes, in Davao, durian is everywhere! That's why they call it Durianburgh! Ha ha…
Hi Kevin – Right on! And, there are other durian sculptures around town as well. It's the King of Fruits after all! 😉
Hi Brian – Man can't live on Mangoes alone! Variety of the spice of life. I do feel that Durian tastes like heaven. You are right, though, somebody did lie, because I sure don't feel it smells like hell! 🙂
Hi AmericanLola – I agree with you. The first time I tasted Durian, it was OK, but I didn't love the stuff. After 2 or 3 times, though, I am also hooked on it!
Hi Tina – Yes, you are indeed a true Dabawenya! Actually, you are more of a Mindanao Girl, given the wide variety of places on the Island where you have lived! Only problem on your recent vacation here was that it wasn't Durian season! You can still get them, but they don't taste nearly as good as the August – October time frame.
Just purchased a durian fruit yesterday from an Asian market. My first encounter…I am navigating the net right now, getting some idea how to open the spiky fruit, how to prepare the fruit (if there is) & how to preserve the fruit once its opened. So far, I've read a lot of interesting information about this so called "King Fruit". Now, my adventure begins…I will let you know 🙂
Hi Marilyn – Good luck to you! Please do come back and let us know how you liked it!
Hi Bob,
I was starting to smell a certain sweet oniony fragrance in my kitchen, & I thought, maybe it’s ready to be eaten. Well, I finally took a stab on this big baby. Well, the way people described about the smell is worst than what it really is! Just the other day, I sliced red onions, wrapped in paper towel & secured in a plastic bag. Everytime I opened the ref, The onion smell whiffed through my nose. Durian kinda reminded me of it, but only on the initial stab, & a much sweeter smell. The flavor is mild, not too bad. It’s sweet & an after taste of nutty flavor. It reminds me actually of a really ripe banana. It’s almost the texture of the ripe banana as well. Maybe I let it ripe so long, that the flesh was a bit mushy already. However, it still tasted good. In fact, I think I’ll try to bake a Durian cake, using the Banana nut cake recipe, replacing banana to Durian.
The only thing that got me, is in handling the white flesh of the fruit, while taking it out from the pod. I was soooo careful, because it’s too soft like a newborn baby buttom 🙂
I’ll bake a Durian cake, & I will let you know how it turns out
Hi Marilyn – Wow! You did good! I'm happy to hear that you liked the durian and tolerated the fragrance well! Don't worry about the texture, many varieies of durian fruit are even a pasty type substance. If you like the fruit, I'm sure you'll really enjoy durian cake, it's very good!