Durian Fruit

[1GirlTwinBoys]

Has anyone tried this? I saw it on Alissa's dvd last night and thought about getting one if it's any good. Is it worth buying?

[JGex]

I can't find one anywhere!! I want to try one.....

[Veganforlife]

When I first went raw, I was in pursuit of one of these from watching Alissa's DVD as well. I went to my local Asian Market and the woman there had no clue what it was. So I gave up looking for one. I've heard you can get them frozen ????
I would prefer a fresh one, but my search is over. I figured some day if I run across one, cool, if not, that's okay too.
Did you do a banana search up top and see what folks think of them? I've heard all different opinions.
Good luck in your search for one.

[dread head vegan]

i've tried it before..... i like them. they are really sweet but they smell horrable. they don't stay good for very long eather. i found them by accedent. I just was in the local asian market and walked rigth by and saw them. you can probally order them online somewhere. good luck finding them. i looked for a couple of months before i found them.

[rawnora]

They are only available in large metropolitan cities with substantial southeast asian populations. The 'smallest' city I've seen them in was Sacramento, and they not only had frozen but also fresh which was a huge surprise as it is very rare. In some large cities like Seattle and Vancouver (as well as San Francisco and LA no doubt) they are even available in some of the larger non-asian stores (i.e., Central Market in Seattle and Real Canadian Superstore in Van).

Happy hunting,
Nora
www.RawSchool.com

[RowanC]

It is a very strange but wonderful fruit.

It has a taste you either love or hate.
I don't find the smell that bad, but I've heard it's illegal to open them in some asian cities because of the smell.

The fruit consists of big seeds covered with an almost pudding like creamy fruit which to me tastes sort of like a cross between a pineapple, banana, and something you can't quite put your finger on.

Definitely worth trying at least once.

There are some very good photos of durian opened and closed at this website - be sure and scroll down for a lot more photos and interesting/fun information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian

I thought this was interesting: The ideal stage of ripeness to be enjoyed varies from region to region in south-east Asia. Generally, people in southern Thailand prefer their durians relatively young, before they have fallen from the tree. Eaten in this state, the clusters of fruit within the shell are still crisp in texture and mild in flavour. In northern Thailand, the preference is for the fruit to be as soft and pungent in aroma as possible. In Malaysia and Singapore, most consumers also prefer the fruit to fall from the tree and may even risk allowing the fruit to continue ripening before opening it. In this state, the flesh becomes richly creamy, the aroma pronounced and the flavour highly complex.

The differing preferences regarding ripeness among different consumers makes it hard to issue general statements about choosing a "good" durian. A durian that falls off the tree continues to ripen for two to four days, but after five or six days most would consider it overripe and unpalatable.[27] The usual advice for a durian consumer choosing a whole fruit in the market is to examine the quality of the stem or stalk, which loses moisture as it ages: a big, solid stem is a sign of freshness.[28] Reportedly, unscrupulous merchants wrap, paint, or remove the stalks altogether. Another frequent piece of advice is to shake the fruit and listen for the sound of the seeds moving within, indicating that the durian is very ripe, and the pulp has dried out somewhat

[Noix_coco]

Hi looooooooooooooove durian, this the emblematic fruit in Singapore, the King of the Fruit! Very filling. The smell is terrible (it is not allowed to carry durian in the subway or bus) but it tastes wonderful, creamy! Don't know if once imported it is as good though...

[Naiad]

A new raw food place opened near me and after two previous visits, my mom suggested we go and I flatly refused.

"Why not?"

"It smells there... like... something rotting in embalming fluid. Something that makes me sick to my stomach."

Well, we finally realised it was all the durian they have there.

Cases full of the whole fruit frozen/fresh(?) and rows of durian pudding.

My mom tried the pudding and decided she didn't like it enough to try again.

I've decided if and when I try durian... it will be when visiting a country where I can get one super fresh.

[madmel]

I absolutely LOVE durian - it took me a long time until I tried one but now I am addicted. I only buy them from time to time because I have no problem eating a durian all by myself and they are VERY rich :D

Yummie!

[RawVee]

When I first went raw, I was in pursuit of one of these from watching Alissa's DVD as well. I went to my local Asian Market and the woman there had no clue what it was. So I gave up looking for one. I've heard you can get them frozen ????
I would prefer a fresh one, but my search is over. I figured some day if I run across one, cool, if not, that's okay too.
Did you do a banana search up top and see what folks think of them? I've heard all different opinions.
Good luck in your search for one.


Durian are usually in the bigger Asian markets. Veganforlife, if you get a chance, Han Ah Rheum in Ellicott City is fantastic. They have tons of durian, and young coconuts, too!