Durian Madness
Yes! It’s that time of the year where our favourite stinky food can be smelt on many of the side streets we explore on our food tour!!
If you haven’t already guessed, yes I am talking about Durian! For starters, this fruit is only available in the Southeast Asia region. The fruit is TROPICAL! So yes, it could only grow in weathers that have a mean daily temperature of 22 Degree Celsius and it is a SEASONAL fruit.
In Singapore we have a permanent durian that we call Esplanade! You ask why it is called durian… Check out the structure of Esplanade theatre.
There you go, now you see why people called it the Durian. Fun Fact: They don’t sell durian. It’s an Arts Theatre with a built-in mall.
Alright, back to Durian!
The name durian comes from the Malay word “duri” (thorn) together with the suffix “-an” (for building a noun in Malay).
This is commonly known as King of Fruits here in Singapore. Most people regard durian as having a pleasantly sweet fragrance, whereas others just find it overpowering with an unpleasant smell.
Despite the odour, the flesh of a durian is normally yellow in colour. It carries a rich custard-like texture. It said that the best durinans are more yellowish in colour, and taste sweeter.
There are many types of Durian. It is recorded that there are about 30 recognised species. This fruit is commonly imported from Thailand and Malaysia into Singapore. So here in Singapore, during its season, you definitely have many types of durian on sale. Most of our Durian comes from a neighbour friend, Malaysia.
The best ones in Singapore are Musang King & D24! It could start from as low as $17/kg!! There are also pre-packed durians that are sold at 2 boxes for $10, all depending on the quality of the durian (also known as the type of durian)!
As since it’s the seasonal period, it almost available at every fruit stalls within your neighbour or even cities places in Singapore. Expect loooooooooong queues from both locals and tourists enjoying this unique food! Then again, its the King, it’s only fair you queue up for it!
Also recently, McDonalds Malaysia released their limited period McFlurry with D24 Durian Flavour. As of 4th July 2018, it is available for a limited period in Singapore! There are also many other ice cream places in Singapore that sell limited time Durian Ice Cream.
If you’re in Singapore and wants to try Durian for the first time, I highly recommend you to try a Durian ice cream first before jumping the gun. But if you are a brave one, go ahead give it a go! Don’t let the smell fool you!
You can also contact us for a private food tour that concentrates on durian. We will visit some of our durian farmer friends and learn how they create the best durians. We’ll of course taste as we go and learn some interesting ways to cook and eat the King of fruits.
Fun Fact:
The best thing to do whenever you’re eating the durian directly from the fruit, do not throw the skin away. Pour water into the husk for the durian, you could drink directly from the husk or wash your hands with it.
It is said to remove the odour from your hands almost immediately! So try it!
If you are a local, share with us where is your favourite Durian place?
If you are someone new, don’t forget to join us on the best food tour in Singapore and find out from our veteran tour guides where is the best place to get scrumptious durian in Singapore!!
Book your tour with us today, www.singabites.com/tours!