Seems to be durian season again. So, I would like to share some durian tips from a friend. I tried out some of these tips last night and they seemed to work. At least the seven durians I bought turned out to be absolutely delicious, though I must admit, I had difficulty in identifying the specific types as they all looked similar.
Some Popular Types
Some not so popular types
How to Choose a Good Durian
( 6 Steps to Choosing A Good Durian )
First of all, what is a good durian? For us, a good durian is one that is ripe, fresh and free from larvae/worms. However, a durian with worm doesn't mean it is not good because it can still be delicious.
So how do you know if a durian is good or fresh?
Here are some steps you can try when looking for a good durian:
1. Look at the tip, if it is too dry means it is no longer fresh. A little dry is okay.
2. Look at the bottom, if it is crack it may be over-ripe or not so fresh. But it still can be delicious.
3. Smell the durian, if there is a strong smell, it is most likely good. If there is no smell, it is probably not ripe.
4. Use your fingernails to scratch the durian, if it sounds hollow it is likely to be a good one.
5. Put the durian close to your ear, shake it and listen carefully, if there is a 'moving' sound, it is likely to be good. If there is no sound and is unduely ‘heavy’, then it is probably the wet or soggy type. Some fresh but soft type can still be very tasty.
6. Look for holes around the durian, if there is tiny hole somewhere, there is likely to be a worm (larva of an insect) that has burrow into it.
7. Yes, there is actually a 7th step, (pardon my hang-up with the ‘mysteries of 7’), but it's not going to be useful. If you have the chance to open the durian, open it and taste it. (Haha... wonder if any durian seller would allow you to do that!)
Ways Of Opening A Durian
There are a few ways to open the durian. Some might find opening a durian just too difficult, so I'll list other methods in case you want to try another way.
1. Use a short knife, one that is sturdy and slightly bigger than the standard swiss army knife most durian farmers use this.
2. Use a big knife, the one for chopping meat - ladies love to use this. Most durian sellers prefer to use the ‘half-parang’.
3. Use bare hands - works well for some over-ripe durians.
4. Use a special durian opener, which is usually made of wood. Not exactly sure where you can find this tool.
5. Use a chainsaw - works very well, but definitely not encouraged.... LOL!
I know a friend who could open a durian using his car keys! If you are using a McGyver Swiss-army knife (like I sometimes do), use a kitchen glove or some clean rag to hold down the durian. We don’t want to have some prickly blisters on our hands!
So, contemplating on buying some durians? Come on, go out there. Be adventurous and try out some of these tips. And if you are not successful, you can always consult our wise sifu, jlkow, for more durian tips!
Cheers and have fun!
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