10 Ways to Eat Durian

Durian, as a fruit, has an ongoing love – hate relationship with the eating public. By love – hate I mean, it’s either you love it or you hate it. I’ve seen people who wouldn’t come within a mile from a durian fruit because they absolutely hate the smell and, consequently, they don’t want to eat this fruit. On the other hand, I’ve seen people literally gorge themselves in a durian eat – all – you – can festival, which is their idea of heaven.

Personally, I grew up hating this fruit. The one time my father brought us durian fruit from one of his trips, I ended up being so nauseated from the smell, I didn’t eat anything at all. But being married to a durian – lover and having friends who are also durian lovers, I’ve acquired a taste for this fruit. I’m not exactly crazy about it but I don’t hate it either.

What’s interesting about durian fruit is that there are a lot of ways you can eat (or drink) it. Search the internet and you can find various pictures, posts, etc. about food and drinks derived from Durian Fruit. Go to Davao City, Philippines, or Thailand or Malaysia and you will personally see what I’m talking about.

In this hub, I’ve compiled (ONLY) 10 ways to eat the Durian fruit. I’m pretty sure there are lots more out there but heck, if I get all of them, one hub or two or three will definitely not enough. So here are the 10 ways to eat Durian.

First is, of course, the fruit itself. If you want to experience firsthand the honest – to – goodness taste of durian, then by all means, buy the fresh fruit from the market, open it and eat it. Do not mind the smell and do not inhale too much. Some types of durian fruit are sweet, others are sweet but with a taste of bitterness in them.

Tip: If you want to experience eating the fruit but not smelling that smell, why not opt for a frozen durian fruit? I’ve tried it and I swear, it tastes like the fresh fruit. Of course, you will have to thaw the fruit first before you can eat it but that was the first time I started to like eating the fruit and I’m sure I’m not the first to have this experience. So try it.

Another tip: Hate the smell of durian on your fingers after you eat the fruit? Rub your fingers on the inside pulp several times then wash them with soap and water. I swear it works and it will really get the smell and the stickiness out of your fingers. Now the smell of durian on your breath? That's another matter.

Now this one I have yet to try but I’m pretty sure it tastes as good as it looks. It’s just like any muffin, only the ingredient used was durian. You can use fresh durian or frozen durian, take your pick.

Okay, this one, you don’t exactly eat the durian fruit, you drink it. Durian shake does not exactly taste like the real thing but you’ll know it’s there because of that distinct durian taste. No amount of milk or sugar can really mask that taste, and that’s what makes this shake really delicious. Definitely, a shake that’s perfect for durian – lovers who want to quench their thirst during summer.

Another way to, er, drink durian is durian coffee. Whether hot or cold, this beverage makes for a really interesting experience. In Davao City, Philippines, where I’ve been countless of times, there’s just one café I know of that serves this drink – BluGre Café. Of course, the coffee taste is definitely more prominent but there’s a slight durian smell and a durian aftertaste. For those coffee – lovers out there, this is one experience you certainly don’t want to miss.

Okay, we’re back to eating. The durian pie is still another way of eating this awesome fruit. It’s just like any other pie but then again, I don’t think there’s a pie that has the same texture as this one. There’s definitely the durian taste and the durian texture in the durian pie I’ve tried before. But fret not, the smell is simply not there. So even if you don't like the fruit, you'll definitely want to try the durian pie.

One delightful way of eating durian is through a creamy, delicious durian cheesecake. Check out the picture I have on the right side and you will see what I mean. The cheese really blends well with the taste of durian and the texture is just right. If you happen to be in Davao City, Philippines, visit Lachi’s and order their durian cheesecake, you definitely will not regret it.

Want something cold to eat? Then why not try durian ice cream. The durian taste is definitely there but no aftertaste. The one we tried before has real durian bits in it. There are other samples I saw in the Internet that look like pure ice cream placed inside a wafer cone (mmmmm!). So if you happen to see durian ice cream in the market, grab one and try it.

Or durian pastillas, or durian chocolate, or durian yema, or whatever you want to call it, durian candy is really for those who wants to try out the durian taste without necessarily going through the whole experience of (smelling and) eating the durian fruit. I say try out because really, the durian taste is kind of overpowered by the sugar and the milk ingredients. For those who visit cities or countries where there are lots of durian, the durian candy is definitely a great ‘pasalubong’ (souvenir or something you can take home to your friends).

Durian pancake is another dessert from durian. I haven’t really seen this up close and personal but it looks like it would make a great and delicious dessert. Based on the recipe I found, durian is not the only ingredient here. There are bananas, sugar, coconut cream, coconut flesh and even passion fruit ice cream (which is really just something to accompany the durian pancake, not really an ingredient blended in). Just reading the ingredients would make one really curious about it and I would definitely love to order it in a local restaurant (if I can find one that serves this, that is).

Last but not the least, the durian egg tart. This is kind of like the cheesecake but with a different texture and a different look. Cheese is also a main ingredient, but it looks to be softer, especially the crust. From what I’ve read, people who have tasted this swore that it tastes as good or even better than the ordinary egg tart. It looks delicious. And the taste? Definitely durian.

Now there you have it. Just some of the ways you can eat (or drink) durian. If you’re one of those who aren’t fond of eating durian, after reading this hub, have you changed your mind?