Have you ever eaten durian that was too watery, unripe, or sour? Do you have trouble choosing a good durian and opening it?
In this post, you will learn 5 secrets for choosing a good durian, opening it, and enjoying it while living in Singapore with friends or your family members.
The first secret: The Durian’s shape
The best durians are not always those with perfectly oval and rounded shapes.
Choosing durians in irregular, oblong, or odd shapes that contain fewer chambers and flesh-covered seeds will yield a more intense flavor and creamier texture, while the durian flesh will be more intense and flavorful. A durian with an odd shape can be curved or crescent-shaped.
The second secret is to look at the stem of a Durian
Make sure you pay attention to the stem when choosing a durian. In fresh durians, the stem ends are moist and light-colored. The end of a durian stem will be darker and drier if it has been off the tree for a long time.
The third secret: Shake a Durian
When testing the ripeness of a durian fruit, place it next to your ear and gently shake it. It sounded like someone shaking maracas to some soul music. Too ripe fruit makes no sound. When shaking it, it should make a hard knocking sound. When you hear something moving inside a durian fruit, it has dried out. Knocks that are dull and subtle are what you want to hear.
This is secret number four: Smell the Durian
As soon as you find the right hitting sounds, you want to narrow your choice down even further with the right smell. Due to the fact that durians ripen at the stem before other parts, you should smell the area around the stem. Use your hand to shield the exterior thorns to avoid getting injured.
It is probably not ripe if the durian smells raw, like unripe fruit. A durian that smells overpowering and has a strong durian aroma is probably too ripe and its flesh is too soft and gooey. Neither too raw nor too strong is its smell.
Secret No. 5. Open a whole Durian fruit
The first step in opening a durian is to cover the work surface with newspaper. Look closely at the bottom of a durian and you’ll see faint brownish traces of what appears to be a star. This is where the durian’s segments are separated by sutures. Splitting a durian will be a breeze if you follow these instructions.
Look for seams where thorns grow toward each other. The section marks indicate where you can dig into the durian along the seams with a knife. Pry it apart with your hands once the incision is deep enough. Afterward, enjoy your durians with your family by repeating the same process along each seam.
FAQ
Do you have any suggestions for buying durians that are already pre-packaged?
It is not always possible for us to choose and buy whole durians. Here are some tips for testing packaged durians with unfrozen varieties.
Take a finger and lightly trace over the surface of the yellow flesh. When the durian flesh feels tender and soft, it’s ripe. Unripe durians have hard flesh to the touch. Overripe durians yield too quickly.
The next step is to smell each pre-packed fruit and determine which one is ripe. When it smells raw, it’s probably not ripe. Overripe fruit has a strong and overpowering smell. The smell should be somewhere between raw and overpowering.
What is the best place in Singapore to buy durians?
In Singapore, Shopee and Lazada durian sellers have high reviews and deliver durians to your doorsteps.
How should you consume durian in Singapore?
Some pair durian with mangosteen to balance the flavors. Water or tea can cleanse the palate.
How does durian taste?
The durian may be pungent or bitter if it is too ripe. A durian that isn’t ripe enough will have hard, flavorless flesh.
(Credits: Veliyath Garden, Duriotourism, 99 Old Tress Durian, Alibaba, Ah Seng Durian, WLS Durian Village, Black Pearl Durian, Durian Delivery, Fruits Monkeys SG, Durian Man SG, Parkway East Hospital)
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