Poll

We have been commenting on Durian on various other posts and polls but I figured the King deserved its own dedicated poll.

Tasted a bunch of different varieties and they were all awesome
0 (0%)
Tasted a bunch of different varieties and they were all gross
1 (5.9%)
Tasted one or two varieties and they were great
5 (29.4%)
Tasted one or two varieties and they were gross
4 (23.5%)
they were ok but dont get what the fuss is all about
4 (23.5%)
Had some great durian and had some terrible durian
3 (17.6%)

Total Members Voted: 17

Author Topic: Rank your Durian eating experience  (Read 9778 times)

lycheeluva

  • Brooklyn, NY
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 631
  • obsessed with fruit growing, especially lychees
    • View Profile
Rank your Durian eating experience
« on: April 28, 2012, 06:18:34 PM »
Please vote

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2012, 06:53:39 PM »
It does take a cultured palate to get into durians as they are atypical fruits as are avocadoes.If people knew the particular type it might change the result.Only a hardened anti-fruit crusader would turn up their nose at montong,luang.gumpun,gaan yeow,red prawn or D197.

emegar

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 324
  • Zone 9b/10a, Rancho Cucamonga, CA
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2012, 07:10:26 PM »
Only had durian once.  I found one at a local Asian market, imported from Thailand.  I didn't actually find the texture unappealing, and the sweetness was nice, but it left me feeling like I'd eaten an entire head of raw garlic, or maybe a bunch of rotting onion.  The wife was ready to make me sleep in the garage, as well!
James

FloridaGreenMan

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1402
  • Fort Lauderdale FL Zone 10B
    • Florida USA
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2012, 08:05:57 PM »
I have tried Durian times over the years and am a big advocate of this incredible fruit. The first time I tried it was when the Fruit & Spice Park had a container flown in from Thailand...it was awesome!.  For many years afterwards, I  consumed it as a frozen fruit from the Asian markets in South Florida and found that it was almost always good. The BEST Durian I have tasted was from Ian Crown's farm in Puerto Rico...it was incredible. Thanks Jay for climbing that tree!   I have no doubt that it's among the best fruit in the world. If you don't enjoy Durian, there's plenty of "Red Delicious" apples in the supermarket !
VIVA DURIAN               



FloridaGreenMan

GwenninPR

  • Zone 13 , Puerto Rico
  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 319
    • Rio Grande, Puerto Rico zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Puerto Rico Day Trips
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #4 on: April 28, 2012, 08:27:10 PM »
I only tasted one and it was ok. Of course, I had to fight off Warren for even a bite  ;)
I hope to taste more this summer.

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2012, 09:43:08 PM »
The opinion of westerners on durian is very similar to easterners who come to America taste a "red delicious" apple and say it tastes about as flavoruful as a mealy potato, and then they don't understand why apple is the American's favorite fruit? If you lived many years in Thailand and still didn't like durian then i would take your opinion more seriously. If you've only tasted frozen durian or durians shipped all the way from Thailand then don't think you've really tasted durian. FYI shipped durian is treated with an anti ripening agent and is picked almost totally green = flavorless and not of good texture.
Oscar

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2012, 09:56:54 PM »
Fruitlovers you sure have some insight and I am sure your words of wisdom will be warmly embraced by some of the former doubters.

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2012, 10:01:46 PM »
Fruitlovers you sure have some insight and I am sure your words of wisdom will be warmly embraced by some of the former doubters.

Thanks. I'm a bit of a fruit proselytizer. I don't care to convert you to another religion. Only to get you to realize what fabulous fruits are out there that you are putting down based only on mere fruit stereotypes.
Oscar

murahilin

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3285
    • USA Greenacres, Florida Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #8 on: April 28, 2012, 10:11:21 PM »
The opinion of westerners on durian is very similar to easterners who come to America taste a "red delicious" apple and say it tastes about as flavoruful as a mealy potato, and then they don't understand why apple is the American's favorite fruit? If you lived many years in Thailand and still didn't like durian then i would take your opinion more seriously. If you've only tasted frozen durian or durians shipped all the way from Thailand then don't think you've really tasted durian. FYI shipped durian is treated with an anti ripening agent and is picked almost totally green = flavorless and not of good texture.

I've had fresh durian in Singapore, Malaysia, PR(had a few different varieties there), and FL(the FL one was not shipped frozen from Thailand but was brought back fresh with a fruit permit). I have also had frozen Thai durian on a few occasions in FL and GA and I still think its not that good. Taste it totally subjective so I don't think anyone can be wrong for not liking or liking a certain fruit more than others.

I would much rather eat a good Fuji or Gala apple than a durian any day. I would probably rather eat a barbados cherry, purple mombin, or Indian jujube over most other tropical fruits and while others may not agree with me I am not going to tell that they're wrong for thinking otherwise.

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2012, 10:22:11 PM »
The opinion of westerners on durian is very similar to easterners who come to America taste a "red delicious" apple and say it tastes about as flavoruful as a mealy potato, and then they don't understand why apple is the American's favorite fruit? If you lived many years in Thailand and still didn't like durian then i would take your opinion more seriously. If you've only tasted frozen durian or durians shipped all the way from Thailand then don't think you've really tasted durian. FYI shipped durian is treated with an anti ripening agent and is picked almost totally green = flavorless and not of good texture.

I've had fresh durian in Singapore, Malaysia, PR(had a few different varieties there), and FL(the FL one was not shipped frozen from Thailand but was brought back fresh with a fruit permit). I have also had frozen Thai durian on a few occasions in FL and GA and I still think its not that good. Taste it totally subjective so I don't think anyone can be wrong for not liking or liking a certain fruit more than others.

I would much rather eat a good Fuji or Gala apple than a durian any day. I would probably rather eat a barbados cherry, purple mombin, or Indian jujube over most other tropical fruits and while others may not agree with me I am not going to tell that they're wrong for thinking otherwise.

Sheehan, I never said anyone was wrong for not liking durian. That ofcourse would be a dumb thing to say. What i am saying is that most westerners have never been exposed to good quality durian fruits. There are Thai people that don't like durians, so ofcourse that is possible, fruit likes/dislikes are very individual. But how can a person say they don't like a certain fruit only based on stories of how bad they smell? Also please don't judge a fruit on frozen fruits you've had, or fruits shipped from thousands of miles away. It's like the person in the east that doesn't like peaches, but all they've ever had is canned peaches. They will also probably never get to taste a perfectly tree ripened peach and enjoy it's luscious taste. All i'm saying is reserve judgement. When you're with a durian lover and he tells you this is a top notch perfectly tree ripened durian fruit, and then you taste it and still don't like it, then OK you've had the real article and still don't like it.
Oscar

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #10 on: April 28, 2012, 10:27:04 PM »
I was not suggesting that people are wrong for not liking durian but rather it should not be dismissed with disdain.Tastes vary alot and even as you grow older your opinions and 'likes' can change.

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #11 on: April 28, 2012, 10:40:44 PM »
I was not suggesting that people are wrong for not liking durian but rather it should not be dismissed with disdain.Tastes vary alot and even as you grow older your opinions and 'likes' can change.

Durian is the most unfairly maligned fruit in all of history. This thanks to a lot of dumb western writers that preset a lot of negative fruit stereotypes into people's heads even before they put the fruit into their mouths. I wouldn't call myself a durian fanatic, but still i see how unfair of a treatment it gets in the west. Do people here really believe that most of Asians adore a fruit that some here are posting claim smells worse than shit? Give me a break!
My main grudge against durian is not smell, taste, or even aftertaste, but rather user unfriendliness....something hardly ever mentioned, but the reality is that durian fruit is plain needle sharp on exterior and downright dangerous to handle and very difficult to open. Most vendors in Thailand were thick gloves to open them for customers.
Oscar

zands

  • mango_zango
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4455
    • Zone 10b, Florida, USA, 33321
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2012, 10:46:35 PM »
I was not suggesting that people are wrong for not liking durian but rather it should not be dismissed with disdain.Tastes vary alot and even as you grow older your opinions and 'likes' can change.

Mike you being in Cairns are much closer to the equator than Miami, Florida. I know that Darwin is even more tropical and has had lots of immigration from SouthEast Asia. Is Cairns the same. Do you have Asian owned orchards an farms where you are

murahilin

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3285
    • USA Greenacres, Florida Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2012, 10:49:24 PM »
murahilin, I never said anyone was wrong for not liking durian. That ofcourse would be a dumb thing to say. What i am saying is that most westerners have never been exposed to good quality durian fruits. There are Thai people that don't like durians, so ofcourse that is possible, fruit likes/dislikes are very individual. But how can a person say they don't like a certain fruit only based on stories of how bad they smell? Also please don't judge a fruit on frozen fruits you've had, or fruits shipped from thousands of miles away. It's like the person in the east that doesn't like peaches, but all they've ever had is canned peaches. They will also probably never get to taste a perfectly tree ripened peach and enjoy it's luscious taste. All i'm saying is reserve judgement. When you're with a durian lover and he tells you this is a top notch perfectly tree ripened durian fruit, and then you taste it and still don't like it, then OK you've had the real article and still don't like it.

Yup I have been with durian lovers who loved the durian(s) that we had on different occasions and I was still not impressed. So I do think I have had the real article and I don't like it.

That being said. I think the tree and fruit are very interesting and I would grow every Durio species if I could.

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #14 on: April 28, 2012, 10:50:12 PM »
x
Oscar

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #15 on: April 28, 2012, 10:52:28 PM »
There is a large asian community but they are not the growers of durians and other tropical fruits most of the time.Darwin is a similar latitude to Bangkok and has a seasonal monsoon climate and the town gets about 1500mm/yr.Where I am sitting right now gets about 2600mm/yr and ther is rainforest behind my place.There is no doubt the asian and multicultural flavour has influenced foods and fruits grown.

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #16 on: April 28, 2012, 10:55:00 PM »

Yup I have been with durian lovers who loved the durian(s) that we had on different occasions and I was still not impressed. So I do think I have had the real article and I don't like it.

That being said. I think the tree and fruit are very interesting and I would grow every Durio species if I could.

And you've really had all the durian species, like Durio oxyleanus, graveolens, kutajensis, and don't like any of them? Or just zibethinus?
Oscar

zands

  • mango_zango
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4455
    • Zone 10b, Florida, USA, 33321
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #17 on: April 28, 2012, 10:58:56 PM »
There is a large asian community but they are not the growers of durians and other tropical fruits most of the time.Darwin is a similar latitude to Bangkok and has a seasonal monsoon climate and the town gets about 1500mm/yr.Where I am sitting right now gets about 2600mm/yr and ther is rainforest behind my place.There is no doubt the asian and multicultural flavour has influenced foods and fruits grown.

Thanks much Mike. I like reading your information from Australia. So you get a hundred inches rain a year! Do you use chipped trees and bushes as mulch to build up your organic matter? A common practice in FL is try to get a tree trimming crew to drop off the chips by your house

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #18 on: April 28, 2012, 11:00:21 PM »
There is a large asian community but they are not the growers of durians and other tropical fruits most of the time.Darwin is a similar latitude to Bangkok and has a seasonal monsoon climate and the town gets about 1500mm/yr.Where I am sitting right now gets about 2600mm/yr and ther is rainforest behind my place.There is no doubt the asian and multicultural flavour has influenced foods and fruits grown.

There is a huge Asian population in USA, but none of that is helping us get good quality fresh durians here. It's a matter of distance and ag rules, not just ethnicity.
Oscar

murahilin

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3285
    • USA Greenacres, Florida Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #19 on: April 28, 2012, 11:16:42 PM »
And you've really had all the durian species, like Durio oxyleanus, graveolens, kutajensis, and don't like any of them? Or just zibethinus?

I think the original species this poll was based on was Zibethinus and it is the only Durio species I've tried. I am more than willing to try the other species and I will definitely keep an open mind to them but that is a topic for another poll. ;D

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #20 on: April 28, 2012, 11:24:48 PM »


I think the original species this poll was based on was Zibethinus and it is the only Durio species I've tried. I am more than willing to try the other species and I will definitely keep an open mind to them but that is a topic for another poll. ;D

Yes, it's the original thread because it's the one and only species most here have tasted. But those other species are also very good. If the smell gets to you oxyleanus might be the one for you. Almost zero smell.
Maybe we should have a poll about which durian cultivar people here like most, and then you would get an idea of what i'm talking about as far as lack of experience with durian cultivars and durian species?
Oscar

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #21 on: April 29, 2012, 12:34:03 AM »
I think durio graveolans x zinethinus and D.macrantha are the only ones besides zibethinus that warrant more than a sideways glance.There are around 30 zibethinus varieties around here and I have 5 adolescent trees of different types.

fruitlovers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 15883
  • www.fruitlovers.com
    • USA, Big Island, East Hawaii, Zone 13a
    • View Profile
    • Fruit Lover's Nursery
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #22 on: April 29, 2012, 02:57:59 AM »
I think durio graveolans x zinethinus and D.macrantha are the only ones besides zibethinus that warrant more than a sideways glance.There are around 30 zibethinus varieties around here and I have 5 adolescent trees of different types.

Ever had kutajensis or oxyleanus? Both very nice tasting!
Oscar

Mike T

  • Zone 12a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9012
  • Cairns,Nth Qld, Australia
    • Zone 12a
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #23 on: April 29, 2012, 04:02:24 AM »
fruitlovers I have only had samples of them and D.testud...? and I prefer to sink my teeth into slabs of flesh rather than rake my teeth over seeds for scant flesh.Each has their own character but still are not on par with zibethinus.

BMc

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1740
  • Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Rank your Durian eating experience
« Reply #24 on: April 29, 2012, 05:08:45 AM »
I've only really had monthong and prawn brain (?) and  thought they were interesting on tasting, but didnt think them excellent. An hour after though i had a severe craving for more and the flavors have continued to grow on me. Cant say the same for my wife though - she makes me eat them in the back yard. I quite like mixing the frozen monthong with coconut into an ice cream.