Ah, Durians. The King of Fruit.
Either you love them, or you hate them.
But have you always wanted to try durians just to see what the hype has been all about?
Well, you’re in luck because this guide seeks to help all newbies enjoy their first taste of experience with the King of Fruit! Read on for our beginners’ guide to trying durian now.
1. Try Your First Durian with a Friend
Doing something new for the first time can always be a little intimidating, be it trying a new dish for the first time or visiting a new country. But it’s probably less nerve-wracking when you have a friend to accompany you as you experience something foreign.
Get a friend who is a fan of durians to join you as you try your first durian. Try to find an individual who is knowledgeable about durians and clarify your doubts about durians with them.
2. Find a Reliable Durian Seller
Nothing can be more scarring than eating unripe or rotten durian during your first try.
Ask your peers for recommendations or Google to find a reputable durian seller. A competent durian seller should do more than just sell durians. Instead, they should have a solid customer engagement strategy and a portfolio of reviews to prove it.
Look for sellers who are active online in responding to their customers and giving them real-time images of their stocks.
Observe how they respond to negative feedback as well. To err is to human, but have a look at how they manage angry customers and whether they offer a solution.
Durians are a natural fruit with no specific taste in a cultivar. Therefore, the taste of the flesh varies from fruit to fruit and from species to species. Reliable sellers, however, want to give their customers the best of the best.
Speak to the store’s point of contact about what kind of flavours you prefer and they will be able to recommend a durian species to suit your taste buds.
But then again, if you have no idea where to start…
3. Ask for Special Breeds
If there is one type of durian that comes to mind, it has to be Mao Shan Wang (MSW). You can find it in numerous durian desserts from MSW ice-cream to MSW mooncakes.
At physical stores, you can probably see individuals lining up to get their hands on the freshest MSW stocks.
However, as durian lovers ourselves, we’d advise against trying MSW first.
Instead, we recommend to keep it last and explore other breeds instead. That’s because MSW has an intense bittersweet taste and buttery texture that makes all other durian species fall short.
For starters, go with special breeds like Penang, Queen Bee, Golden Dragon, XO or Blackthorn durians first.
Once you get used to the taste and texture of the durian flesh, go ahead and try the ever-loved MSW durian.
4. Just Eat It!
Trying durians for the first time doesn’t have to be that complicated. After all, eating durians is meant to be a pleasurable activity.
Sure, there might be tons of myths and stigmas surrounding durians but you will never know if you like it till you try it.
It’s Never too Late
Let’s face it, durians aren’t for everyone. Some people adore the pungent flavour and buttery texture while others simply don’t fancy it. And yet, everyone starts from somewhere.
If you have been on the fence about jumping on the thorny craze, don’t waste any more time deliberating and just have a taste. Even if you find that the taste and texture of durian do not suit your taste buds, at least you gave it a shot!