Glenn Yong's guide to durians: How to pick and choose the best durians

The different types of durians

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Native to Malaysia and Indonesia, the bumper crop generally occurs in two distinct periods: the summer season of May to August and the fall season of late December to March. And like many fruits, the durian also comes in a variety of flavours from bittersweet to creamy rich flavours.

In fact, there are as many as 18 types of durians for you to choose from depending on your flavour profile. Popular picks include the classic Mao Shan Wang (AKA the Musang King), D24 Durian, and D13 Durian. Other types of durians that you might come across in Singapore include XO, D1, Golden Phoenix, D101, Red Prawn, Green Bamboo, Black Gold, Black Pearl, Black Thorn, Gang Hai, D17, Hor Lor, Mon Thong, Tekka, and Chanee.

Picking the right shape

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Most of us would tend to choose a durian that’s rounder in shape because it's visually appealing. But, according to Glenn, he says “the durians with the flatter sides, may have a more filling ‘meat’, so you should find those that have odd shapes”.

Reason being: odd-shaped fruit are likely to have fewer chambers inside and, so, fewer flesh-covered seeds. In contrast, perfectly round durians are usually less aromatic and the seeds are usually bigger and the 'meat' is less fleshy and creamy.

Smelling the durians

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You don’t have to cut open a durian to find out if it’s ripe or unripe. In fact, you can easily tell if a durian is ripe by smelling its “butt” or sniffing along the seams or split lines of the durian. Doing so, you should smell a slight fragrance. If there is no aroma, the durian is unripe. But if the aroma is too strong, the durian is probably overripe.

Identifying a Mao Shan Wang

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Tender, fleshy with a rich, creamy texture that melts in your mouth, it’s no wonder that the Mao Shan Wang (MSW) is dubbed the Musang King. They are the creamiest, richest, most buttery, bittersweet durians compared to all other durian varieties and more often than not, they are the most common types of durians you’ll find here in Singapore.

But that begs the question: How can you differentiate a MSW from the other durians? According to Glenn, he says that you should look at the spikes of the durians. Usually, the spikes of the MSW durians are rounder in shape, whereas the other types of durians often have sharper spikes.

Another way to find out if a durian is a MSW is to take a look at the “butt” of the durian. MSW durians have been said to have a star shape at the bottom that is unlike the other durians, which makes it easier for consumers to identify a MSW from the rest.

Getting rid of the smell

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Love feasting on the exquisite fruit but hate the smell that lingers on your fingers after?

According to research conducted at the Leibniz-LSB@TUM, the fruit's stench is essentially due to the odorant ethanethiol and its derivatives. However, there is an easy way to get rid of the smell.

Before you turn a blind eye to the spiky shell, Glenn suggests that you "wash your fingers with water running through the durian shell." Doing so will help to remove that pungent durian smell. Besides that, you can also drink water straight from the shell as it helps to remove the odour in your mouth and it can also cool your body after a durian feast.

Alternatively, you can also use the durian seed itself and rub your hands against the brown seed instead of the white fibrous ends to get rid of the odour.