Exciting Facts About Durian We Bet You Didn’t Know
How does Durian taste? The flavour is a bend between almonds, cheese, caramel and garlic. There are numerous ways to utilise this nutritious yet pungent fruit. It can be transformed into juice, side dishes, soup, ice cream, candy, and other desserts. Varieties like the authentic Mao Shan Wang are rich in carbs, fibres, calories, protein, vitamin C, thiamine, Manganese, Potassium, riboflavin and more. But this isn’t it! There is more to Durian than you think you know.
Love it or hate it, here are some lesser-known facts about Durians that can help you appreciate the fruit better!
1. The species dilemma
You know your Mao Shan Wang and D24 Durians. However, did you know there are more than 500 varieties of Durians in Southeast Asia? Malaysia alone has 100 types, followed by Indonesia. Conversely, Thailand is the biggest exporter in the world, with more than 300 varieties of the king of fruits. Of the 30 recognized species, only 11 are edible, whereas others are inedible. The intriguing part is yet to come.
2. Thornless Durians also exist
When you hear the word “Durian”, you imagine a spiky fruit in your mind. However, thornless Durians do exist, and they are a natural variation due to genetic mutation. What’s funny is the thornless Durians look more like coconuts and less like Durians. They have a brown, round, smaller, and smoother exterior than their thorny counterparts, but the taste is just like regular Durians. The texture and colour of the flesh of these Durians might range from pale yellow to white.
3. Durians fall from the trees only when they are ripe
Seasoned Durian lovers know the trick to choose the best Durian: looking for signs that the fruit fell naturally from the tree. Durians tend to fall from the branches only when they are ripe. A farmer does not cut them before their ripening phase. So, the next time you pick Durians, examine the stem tip for fraying.
4. Durian seeds are available
If you were all set to throw the Durian seeds after removing the flesh, STOP! You can cook these seeds, boil them, roast them or even deep fry them as chips, and they will taste phenomenal. However, remember that you can’t consume these seeds raw because they contain cyclopropane fatty acids that might cause cancer.
5. Whacked for intense flavours
Did you know an average Durian tree can grow 25 to 40 meters? Farmers use enormous nets near the bottom of the tree to catch falling Durians, but there’s a brutal truth about Durians that you may not know. Although Durians are caught using nets, harvesters hit them onto the ground to trigger a final release of delightful flavours (of course, without damaging the fruit).
That will be it! Stay tuned for more interesting Durian info, or visit our website if you are searching for authentic, naturally ripened Pahang Durians!
