What Durians Suits Your Taste Bud? Let’s Dig In..

 

You’d be hard-pressed to find any country that adores the King of Fruits the way we do. And for good reason too – whether you love or hate them, you absolutely can’t deny the way that whenever durian season hits, the market seems to get flooded with seemingly endless varieties.

Now if you’re someone who’s just a durian newbie, you might want to commit what you’re gonna read to memory. After all, the presence of an intimidating seller might not really create the environment for you to enquire about whether his stock is ‘good’ or not. Trust us, we’ve been there and now we’re here to make sure that you’re getting the real deal. 

And if you’re someone who has survived their fair share of seasons and is now a durian-veteran, you might still find our guide comes in rather handy. Here is our comprehensive guide to durian shopping in Singapore!

Different Varieties of Durians

 

Let’s start with the basics. There are a little over 400 different varieties of durains that you can keep an eye out for. But don’t be intimidated! Just knowing about the popular ones will make you a durian expert in no time at all! So here is a list of the most popular durian varieties that you can purchase in Singapore.

Mao Shan Wang

There is no denying the Mao Shan Wang, regardless of your preference for sweet or bitter durians. Its golden, creamy, and sticky flesh makes it impossible to predict whether you’ll get one that is sweet, bitter, or even bittersweet. And if you ask us, that’s the very thing that makes it even better! To get the best Mao Shan Wangs, make sure that the bottom should be a very-distinctive star shape and the stems should be bald.

Red Prawn

Nothing compares to the Red Prawn if sweet durians are more your style. This durian’s orange to crimson colour will make you think of the seafood delicacy after which it was named. The seeds are smaller, and the good ones have a waterier consistency but are still very creamy.

If you have a sweet craving, make sure to get red prawns from younger trees because they tend to be sweeter.

D24 Sultan

No list of the top durians is complete without the D24 Sultan, a perennial fan favourite. The  meat is rich and creamy with a surprisingly wonderful combination of sweet and bitter. It truly comes as no surprise to learn why the D24 Sultan is so well-liked, especially among durian newbies.

MSW – Pahang Old Tree

They claim that the greatest grades of MSW – Pahang Old Tree are only produced from the oldest durian trees in the Pahang area, and we can’t argue with that. This durian shouldn’t be missed since it has some of the most powerfully bitter flavours and incredibly smooth flesh. 

Don’t be deceived by the delightful bitter flavour alone; the complex blend of textures will make you want to eat more simply to have the experience again.

XO

Stronger tasters will end up enjoying this durian’s quite powerful aftertaste. It is called after the beverage, and it is easy to understand why. This durian has a very intense bitter taste and a taste of lingering alcohol. The flesh is frequently watery and the size is often on the smaller side. Who knows, perhaps after consuming enough XO durians, you’ll find that you need to sleep the feeling off!

D101

Is there anyone left who hasn’t experienced the D101? This is one durian that we’ve all tasted as children, with a sweeter taste, a smooth texture, and a sour aftertaste. In fact, kids still seem to like it quite a bit.

But you might want to pass on this durian if you like durians with distinctive flavours. Even still, it’s challenging to deny the nostalgic vibe of this one. Not to mention that it is one of the more affordable options.

Golden Phoenix

The Golden Phoenix is the solution to your difficulties if your budget says no but your cravings say yes. The Golden Phoenix’s light, watery body makes it simple to identify. The Golden Phoenix is smaller and has a flavour profile similar to the Mao Shan Wang.

Since it has a lot of flesh, you can purchase a larger quantity of the delectable meat for a lower cost. However, because of its stronger scent, folks with sensitive noses may want to avoid it.

D24

Okay. Hear us out even though this choice might be contentious. This durian is one that you can never get tired of, making it the ideal option if you’ve never tried one before. You can never go wrong with the D24 due to its somewhat bittersweet undertones and unmistakable alcoholic finish.

Tekka

You can’t claim to be a durian connoisseur till you try the Tekka, one of the most uncommon varieties. While some people might find pale Tekkas to be too dull, a good Tekka is more of a deep golden colour. Its gritty fibre and mildly citrus flavour are two characteristics that distinguish it from other durians.

A lover of durians will adore the taste because it is both sweet and bitter. But if you frequently eat durian, make sure to choose the best.

Black Gold

The Black Gold, a very uncommon durian, is a definite must-try. The flesh is nearly fiberless, and you won’t be able to resist its irresistible vivid orange colour. We heartily recommend getting this one because it has a custard-like texture and an incredibly bitter flavour. Always buy them from reputable merchants because the taste varies greatly depending on the age.

General Tests

 

Now that we’re done with the general varieties *whew*, we’ve finally arrived to the ‘meat’ of this entire guide. Here are some general tests that work well for all sorts of durians from the Mao Shan Wang to the Red Prawns. 

 

• Scrap that stem!

 

One of the easier and more popular ways to tell if a durian is fresh is to simply give it the scratch test. Just gently scratch the stem of the durian with your nails and if the stem reveals a freshly green interior then they just fell off their trees within the last 24 hours. (Trust us, we’ve done this test countless times and all our durians had the greenest, fleshiest interior showing up without any effort).

 

If the stems look rigid and old, you might want to give those durians a pass.

 

• Give it a sniff

 

Another really popular way is to simply give it a sniff. If the durian smells fresh and light then it means that the durian is probably really sweet. Similarly, a slightly pungent smell means bitterness, while too much of a sweet smell means that it’s overripe. Just remember to smell it either from the center or from the split lines that you can find around the top of the durians. 

 

Durians usually smell their strongest from the bottom, so going from the top or center gives us a more accurate assessment of the durian’s actual flavor.

 

• Tap it up

 

This tip isn’t all-perfect but it does give rather good results. All that you need to do is bring the durian near your ears and give it a good shake. Good durians often have the sound of water droplets hitting the drum, or as one of our experts described it, a ‘du du du’ sound. It’s a great indication as to whether the fruit is ripe or not. 

 

• Shapes and appearances

 

Now, these tips are the ones that you might want to take with a pinch of salt because they’re just general tips, but they are easy to check for too. The ideal color of the fruits should be from light green to slightly dark green. If you find any signs of browning or injury that usually indicates that the durian is old because young durians don’t show these signs even if dropped from great heights.

 

The spikes should be firm and not be too wobbly. But this rule doesn’t apply to all durians because varieties like D24 have longer and softer spikes.

 

• Always buy from a reputed seller

 

This tip might seem like the most obvious but a reputed seller goes a long way in making sure that you always get the best durians. Check for online reviews, whether they’ve been featured in major publications and it’s best if they offer some sort of replacement guarantee.

 

 In fact, if you place an order with us, and you find any issue, we take all the responsibility. We’ve got a 100% replacement replacement policy if you get sub-par quality durians so the only thing that you need to focus on is saving those delicious durians from your friends and family.

 

And that brings us to the end of this comprehensive guide on durians. So far we’ve covered the different types of durian varieties and some general tests that you can use to make sure that you always get the best of the lot.

Do you want fresh durians delivered to your doorstep?

Now that you know what type of durians would be best for you, why not try out some fresh durians delivered to your home? Durian SG Prime is your best choice when it comes to having fresh durian straight from the Pahang plantations. You can be assured that your choice of durian variety is the highest quality, cheapest and freshest that you can ever have.

Get your fresh durians in Singapore today!