The Enigmatic Durian Fruit
A look into trying this bizarre delicacy
Mysterious. Elusive. Puzzling. Called “The King of Fruits” by some, the durian has been seen in person by few in the United States. And actually tasted by even fewer. The fruit is pungent, intimidating, and quite literally, prickly. There is a lot of myth and ignorance surrounding this oddity. So much so that Portlandia saw fit to feature an entire sketch asserting the durian a couple brought into their home was actually a space alien. Despite all the bad press, I was determined to try one for myself.
It is rare I am able to try a type of food that is unlike anything I have tried before, which made this excursion particularly exciting. Besides all the tangible obstacles of the fruit itself, the durian is also difficult to find, as it is only native to Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, and the demand is not exactly high all around the country. Although, I recently moved to New York City, where I am lucky enough to find almost anything my heart desires, especially when it comes to food. Whether it’s Oaxacan grasshopper tacos or authentic Taiwanese shaved ice, New York has allowed me to chase all my culinary dreams that were once so far away, or at least as far as the countries where all these treats originated. Concerning the durian specifically, Chinatown was the place to go.
Durians are actually abundant in the eclectic Manhattan neighborhood, but I was advised by online message boards and reviews to head only to Durian NYC. While there are many random fruit stands and grocers that offer the fruit, I was assured this unassuming stand right near the Grand Street subway station was the best place to start my little self-made adventure. I was not led wrong.
The very helpful woman, who’s name I unfortunately did not get, explained to me the difference between the two types of durians she had in stock, the Malaysian and Thai varietals. Since the stand specializes in this trade, I felt confidence in the freshness of the product and that the fruit was imported diligently. I was overjoyed to learn she had some pieces already cut and packaged so I was not forced to buy an entire durian, and therefore, was able to try both types. Since some countries have outlawed the fruit on their public transport systems, I took the sealed containers, wrapped tightly in a shopping bag, and hurried home to taste them. Below are my impressions of the durians of separate origins.
Thai Durian
Milder, less savory
Scent of sparkling wine, pear, hazelnuts, mild pungency
Flavor of vanilla custard and frozen yogurt, sweet and creamy, bright
Malaysian Durian
Pungent, savory and sweet
Scent of rotting cheese, stale pasta, specifically old onions and herbs, toasted nuts, fermenting apple cider
Flavor of overripe banana or plantain, pungency almost overwhelms sweetness
If the tone of my evaluations were not clear enough, I preferred the Thai varietal by far. Both fruits seemed equally fresh, with the fleshes having a similar texture that melted over the tongue. However, I was struggling to even finish the Malaysian durian. While everyone experiences the fruit differently, the one from Malaysia was empirically much more savory and pungent than the other. After a certain point, my nose was simply fighting with my mouth to make sense of what I was eating. The Thai strain on the other hand was sumptuous and velvety while the Malaysian version was dull in comparison. The Thai durian was much sweeter and much more how you would imagine or hope a fruit would be.
So should you try a Durian? If you can stomach it, of course! If you consider yourself squeamish, maybe look out for a Thai durian before a Malaysian one. Step outside your comfort zone to do something that is completely harmless at the end of the day, and I bet you will be better off for it. I am so excited to try even fresher durians once I get to explore more Eastern Asian countries, but until then, NYC has me covered.
