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

Durian season is finally here! Love it or hate it, here's all you need to know about durians, straight from the Durian Prince himself

Credits: Her World/ Shazrina Shamsudin
Credit: Shazrina Shamsudin
Share this article

Affectionately called the King of Fruits in Southeast Asia for its large size, strong odour and thorn-covered rind, durians are often considered a divisive fruit for many. Some find the fruit absolutely repulsive while others swoon over the smell alone. But over in Singapore, it goes without saying that the durians has been and always will be a favourite for most locals. We know, it sounds bizarre to have such a strong appreciation for a fruit with such an aroma, but there’s just something about its addictively sweet, rich and custard-like texture that’s got us coming back for more.

How to pick and choose the right durians

Now, as simple as eating a durian can be, there are a few things you might not know about the seasonal fruit itself. Take, for instance, the different types of durians available, identifying a Mao Shan Wang, and removing the smell of durian that lingers on your fingers after eating it.

And since we’re not as familiar with the durians ourselves, we tapped on none other than singer-actor Glenn Yong AKA the Durian Prince from Jack Neo's box office hit movie, The King of Musang King, to find out everything we need to know about durians.

During an exclusive interview with Her World, the talented star shared more about his newfound appreciation for the fruit itself. Of course, having handled one too many durians during the course of filming, the actor also told us that he knows more about the seasonal fruit than he did before, and he even shared some interesting hacks that even we didn’t know about, including how to pick and choose the best durians.

The different types of durians

Credit: 123rf
1/5

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

Credit: Her World/Shazrina Shamsudin
2/5

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

Credit: Her World/Shazrina Shamsudin
3/5

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

Credit: 123rf, Her World/Shazrina Shamsudin
4/5

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

Credit: Her World/Shazrina Shamsudin
5/5

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.

Share this article