Enjoying the Perfect King of Fruit: How to Pick Durians

By Saniya Baxi | 08, Jun, 2023
Enjoying the Perfect King of Fruit: How to Pick Durians

Durian is a popular tropical fruit of Southeast Asia and it has been nicknamed “the king of fruits.” This fruit is full of nutrients, even more than other fruits. 

This fruit can be easily distinguished by its spiky surface and large size. It has a hard outer shell that makes it different from other fruits. 

With the durian season coming, we will be looking at how we should pick up a Durian, how the fruit tastes, and where you can buy the fruit. Keep reading to know more! 

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What is Durian?what is durian

Image Credit: Jim Teo on Unsplash

The Durian fruit has a spiky surface and a strong smell. Some people often find it smells like sewage or even worse, but it's actually not hard to find people who love them. It has a flesh-like custard with huge-sized seeds. 

This fruit is available in a lot of varieties but the most common of them is Durio zibethinus. The flesh of the fruit can range in a lot of colors. Mostly, the flesh of the Durian fruit is yellowish or whitish, but it can also range from a red to a green color. 

The Durian fruit is mostly grown in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. This fruit can grow up to a length of thirty centimeters and can become almost fifteen centimeters wide. 

Durian contains a lot of vital nutrients that make it an ideal fruit. The tropical fruit is also rich in good and healthy plant compounds like carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols, and anthocyanins. Many of these plant compounds work as antioxidants. 

 

What Is the Taste of Durian? 

Durian lovers have often stated that the fruit has a custardy and a sweet taste to it with a texture of a creamy cheesecake. 

Mostly the vanilla and the caramel flavors are attributed to a Durian fruit. Not all Durian fruits are the same though. 

Some of these spiky fruits can be bitter with a pinch of sweetness to them while some have a totally sweet taste. 

Not a fan of the "raw" taste of Durian? Try other Different Ways to Enjoy Durian for maximum enjoyment!

 

Where to Buy Durian in Singapore?durian stall/seller

Image Credit: Aiva Apsite on Unsplash

People are concerned about a lot of things when they go to look for Durians in the markets of Singapore, the honesty of the shopkeeper, the location, the quality, and more. 

A Durian season is very short-lived and there are a lot of reasons why you should stride down to the nearest stalls to your house and buy the nutritious fruit. 

If you have a question as to where to buy Durian now then here are the names of the most famous stores that are located in Singapore. 

So, we have made a list of fourteen vendors in Singapore that can provide you with good quality fruit and you can trust the shopkeeper. 

  • 99 Old Trees
  • Golden Moments 
  • Combat Durian
  • Durian Delivery Singapore (this place is the people's favorite choice)
  • 227 Katong Durian
  • Sindy Durian
  • Ah Seng Durian
  • Kong Lee Hup Kee Trading
  • The Durian Tree
  • Durian Kaki
  • 211 House of Durian
  • Durian Mpire by 717 Trading 
  • Durian 36
  • Fruit Monkeys

These stores and shops have been listed considering all the locations in Singapore so we hope that at least one store should be situated near your house.

Discover more locations by reading 11 Places with Durian Delivery in Singapore.

 

How to Choose Durian?how to choose durian

Image Credit: Mufid Majnun on Unsplash

Picking a Durian can be a tough task but we are going to simplify it for you with the help of a few steps. So, go through them:

Step 1: Shake the Durian

The first step to finding out whether a Durian you picked up to eat is good enough or not is by shaking it. 

If you hear a sound from inside of the fruit then that means that the fruit has dried up and is not fit to be eaten. 

Step 2: Try to Look at the Stem 

You will know if a Durian is fresh if you look at its stem. If the stem is light in color as well as moist then this implies that it is fresh. 

The end of the stem of a Durian would be drier and darker if it has been off of the tree for a long time. 

Step 3: Smell the Spiky Fruit 

A fruit of Durian ripens down its stems. Hence, if you wish to check if the fruit is ripe then you should always smell the area that is around the stem. 

But, you should prevent yourself from a pricking injury, and for that, you should use your hand to remove the extra thorns. 

If you sense a strong aroma from the area around the stem of Durian then it means that the fruit is ripe and fresh. 

 

Where to Buy Durian?

Durian fruit is easily available in the market especially during the season and you can buy it from the nearest vegetable store. You can even shop for a Durian online. 

But, you should always check a Durian physically before buying it. Hence, make sure that you are visiting the store and selecting your fruit with the help of the methods mentioned above.

 

Are There Any Health Benefits to Durian?health benefits of durian

Image Credit: Spencer Wing on Unsplash

Every part of the Durian plant is being used to treat serious illnesses like jaundice, dangerous skin problems, and even high fever. Hence, Durian fruit is considered to be of a very high value. It can benefit an individual in a variety of ways from supplying the right nutrients to treating big illnesses. 

The leaves, roots, fruit, and even the husk of the Durian plant are being used in Malaysian medicines to their best. 

Many studies have proven that Durian is a very healthy fruit and it provides a human with a lot of benefits. 

It May Reduce the Risk of Cancer

Although it might be a bit of an exaggerated claim, the antioxidants present in a Durian fruit like anthocyanins, flavonoids, and more, neutralize the radicals that promote cancer in the body. 

Moreover, in an experiment done in a lab, one of the Durian extracts helped to prevent breast cancer from spreading and persisting. 

It May Fight Infections

The spiky skin or the rind of the Durian fruit helps to prevent infections. The skin of the fruit contains antibacterial compounds that have anti-yeast attributes. 

These compounds help in preventing an individual from developing various types of infections in the human body. 

It May Prevent Heart Diseases 

There are a lot of compounds present in a Durian fruit that can help you to reduce your body's cholesterol levels. 

This, in turn, will help you to prevent yourselves from various heart problems and serious heart diseases. 

It will also prevent you from the risk of developing atherosclerosis and even the hardening of your arteries or veins. 

It May Help Reduce Blood Sugar 

The Durian fruit has a lower GI or glycemic index. The Glycemic index is the figure that represents the ability of a carbohydrate food to increase the glucose level in a human's blood. 

The glycemic index of Durian is lower than that of most tropical fruits. This means that this fruit will not spike your body's sugar levels.  

 

Final Thoughts

Hence, to sum it up, Durian is a tropical fruit that is grown in Southeast Asian countries that is rich in healthy plant compounds and many vital vitamins and minerals. 

There are many ways by which you can select a Durian, hence pay attention to the color and smell of the stem while buying the fruit. We hope that you gained something from this article and get the best Durian for you to enjoy! 

 

Looking for more fun facts about the Durian? Dive Deep Into the World of Durian, The King of Fruits with us.

 

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