What Does Durian Taste Like?

I’ve finally tried durian for the first time. For those who don’t know, durian is infamous for its strong smell and unique taste. I’d heard horror stories about its smell, so I was a bit apprehensive.

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I tried to smell the durian through the packet but there was barely any smell.

Below is the brand I tried.

There are over 300 varieties of durian, but some popular ones include:

Musang King: Known for its rich, creamy flavor and bittersweet taste.
D24: A popular variety in Malaysia, known for its sweet and slightly bitter taste.
Monthong: A Thai variety, known for its sweet and creamy flavor.
Black Thorn: A variety from Vietnam, known for its sweet and slightly bitter taste.

Each variety has its unique flavor profile, texture, and aroma. The diversity of durian varieties is one reason why fans of the fruit love it so much, there’s always something new to try!

Opening the packet

Once I opened the packet I was pleased, I thought when it said pulp it was going to be mashed durian, but it was actually pieces with these seeds inside.

This is one of the pieces, I defrosted it in the fridge, while frozen it only has a mild smell. I could smell the slight sweetness and that distinctive durian smell but it wasn’t as unpleasant as I thought it might be. There were about 5 pieces in this one packet.

Once it was defrosted, I parted the piece to share around as my sister was going to try it too.

It looks pretty messy haha, but I removed the stone and could see there was like a slight “skin” around the outside then it was super soft in the middle.

What did it smell like?

Now I could really smell the durian now, its a pleasant sweet fruity smell but also something that doesn’t smell so great, it’s so odd and very hard to describe unless you’ve smelt it.

It didn’t smell so bad that I didn’t want to try it that’s for sure.

Tasting it

Once I took a bite I could feel that “skin” it was almost like that thickend skin you get on heated milk, then the inside was very soft.

It had a fruity pungent taste. I only tried a little bit on a teaspoon and didn’t feel I could eat more.

It’s rich and so weird like I wanted more but at the same it’s so unusual nothing like I’ve tasted before. It’s creamy and rich which is really nice.

Both my sister and I agreed it would probably be really nice in a smoothie and mixed with something else so the texture is better.

Would I recommend Durian?

So, would I recommend trying durian? Absolutely. It’s an experience unlike any other, and I’m glad I pushed past my initial hesitation. The verdict? It’s an acquired taste, but I’m curious to try it again and see if I can appreciate its unique taste.

I would love to see if there any other varieties near where I live to see how different they are.

Have you tried durian did you like it?