Native to Indonesia, the name durian comes from the Indonesian word duri, or thorny, describing the fruit’s spiked, yellowish-green exterior. Counter to its quite unappealing appearance on the outside, durian flesh is actually sweet, soft, delicate and creamy. Having spread from Indonesia to other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines, durian is the much loved and much hated fruit.
Adored by durian addicts as the king of the fruits, many people, especially first-time durian eaters and Westerners, describe the fruit’s smell as unbearable due to its highly pungent odor. During the durian harvest season (August-January), the smell of fresh and rotting durian seems to permeate every corner of traditional markets and the stalls of the fruit vendors all over Bali. The big brownish-yellow durian are beautifully presented on the fruit stalls, along with other tropical fruits like mangos, salak (snake fruit), papaya and banana.
However, choosing a good durian, one with sweet flesh and a small seed, can be very challenging, especially for those who have not honed their skill in smelling out the high quality fruit. Some people can tell a good durian just by looking at it, but others, even those with a refined taste for the fruit, often fail to get the best ones. Relying on the skills of the durian sellers is an option. The sellers usually use a bamboo stick to tap the outside of the durian and listen for just the right tone to determine the quality of the fruit. Some fruit vendors will be willing to cut out a small triangular piece of the thorny fruit so the buyer can taste the flesh and judge its ripeness.
But your efforts will not have ended here; opening the thorny skin is also very hard. A good vendor usually lends his/her skilled hands to break open the skin, ensuring it is done correctly with attention to all the layers. Now that the durian is open, you still have to be very careful not to eat more than five segments or you will feel hungover due to the fruit’s alcoholic content. Eating the yellowish, creamy durian flesh can also result in your body becoming hot and your stomach filling with gas. Prices for durian vary across Bali. A good, ripe durian is sold for between Rp 25,000 to Rp 30,000. At the supermarkets, the price will be three times higher. It is best for you to eat your durian on site. Don’t carry the durian in your car as the smell could make you feel dizzy. In fact, many people transport durian tied under their car’s rear bumper, so that the smell remains outside.
Despite being a strange-looking fruit, no visit to Bali is complete without trying durian. Brave the smell and give yourself a treat!