In the Heart of Durian Country

[fruitlovers]

http://durianyear.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/sunshine-durian-factory.html

[HMHausman]

Very interesting, Oscar.  Thanks for posting this.  What I learned from this article that I didn't understand before is that Thai's prefer their durian under ripe and that enjoying at that stage has less odor and  some flesh texture differences.  My mind remains open to further durian evaluation.

Harry

[Jackfruitwhisperer69]

Hi Oscar, thanks for sharing

I wish they also export to Portugal

Nowadays, I have heard about frozen Durians being sold in Europe, like Germany, Netherlands, France, England...? Maybe, Spain also has them for sale

[fruitlovers]

Very interesting, Oscar.  Thanks for posting this.  What I learned from this article that I didn't understand before is that Thai's prefer their durian under ripe and that enjoying at that stage has less odor and  some flesh texture differences.  My mind remains open to further durian evaluation.

Harry

Article didn't explain this point very well. The Monthong will actually be over ripe once it falls and segments split open. For most other durians this is a sign of perfect ripeness. For Monthong this will mean it's over ripe. Don't think the Thais like durian under ripe. Under ripe durian of any kind is terrible, very rubbery and tasteless. Thais tend to pick Monthong durians for international export way under ripe so that they can withstand long shipping. In addition to that they are sprayed with anti ripening hormones to extend the shelf life.

[HMHausman]

Very interesting, Oscar.  Thanks for posting this.  What I learned from this article that I didn't understand before is that Thai's prefer their durian under ripe and that enjoying at that stage has less odor and  some flesh texture differences.  My mind remains open to further durian evaluation.

Harry

Article didn't explain this point very well. The Monthong will actually be over ripe once it falls and segments split open. For most other durians this is a sign of perfect ripeness. For Monthong this will mean it's over ripe. Don't think the Thais like durian under ripe. Under ripe durian of any kind is terrible, very rubbery and tasteless. Thais tend to pick Monthong durians for international export way under ripe so that they can withstand long shipping. In addition to that they are sprayed with anti ripening hormones to extend the shelf life.

Not sure that your description of  what was written, when you said  "article didn't explain this very well" does the article justice, if what you are saying is the real story.  I would say that the article is competely misleading and incorrect.

Harry

[fruitlovers]

Very interesting, Oscar.  Thanks for posting this.  What I learned from this article that I didn't understand before is that Thai's prefer their durian under ripe and that enjoying at that stage has less odor and  some flesh texture differences.  My mind remains open to further durian evaluation.

Harry

Article didn't explain this point very well. The Monthong will actually be over ripe once it falls and segments split open. For most other durians this is a sign of perfect ripeness. For Monthong this will mean it's over ripe. Don't think the Thais like durian under ripe. Under ripe durian of any kind is terrible, very rubbery and tasteless. Thais tend to pick Monthong durians for international export way under ripe so that they can withstand long shipping. In addition to that they are sprayed with anti ripening hormones to extend the shelf life.

Not sure that your description of  what was written, when you said  "article didn't explain this very well" does the article justice, if what you are saying is the real story.  I would say that the article is competely misleading and incorrect.

Harry

I didn't want to say that because the article was obviously written by a durian novice. I mean that was the first time they even tasted durian! I assure you what i say is correct. If you wait for a Monthong to crack oper it will be terribly over ripe.

[TropicalFruitHunters]

I agree with Oscar.  Also have to consider how much of their knowledge was conveyed from Thai to English.  None of the durian we tried over there was splitting.  However...a few durian we had in PR had started to split and they seemed to be at the perfect stage for most of us.  Warren probably just slipped into a durian coma just at the thought of it!

[Mike T]

A gift on my doorstep today was a grafted improved montong durian.Ir will be a handsome addition to my durians.Rare fruit folk visited and declared my krasuey sapodilla a freak (picture),pineapple brazil guava as really special and my E4 abiu a must for propagation.I was pleased to get confirmation that I have some good trees.

[fruitlovers]

E4 Abiu? I guess you meant Z4 Abiu?

[Mike T]

Fruitlovers I posted a picture before of my Z4 (Joe Zapalla number 4) next to my E4.Z4 is the common commercial one to 2lbs,often with 2 seeds, firm whitish flesh,deep yellow skin that is quite thick with latex and very spherical.It has a good taste rivalling Z2,T25 and inca gold but some people prefer gray.E4 abius are similar in size,spherical,paler yellow when ripe,more tranluscent flesh, they have an elongated teat, thinner skin but less prone to bruising,less latex and a richer caramel/vanilla flavour.The interest was not as a commercial species but as a premier backyard type.E4 can also be eaten when quite green.

[fruitlovers]

Fruitlovers I posted a picture before of my Z4 (Joe Zapalla number 4) next to my E4.Z4 is the common commercial one to 2lbs,often with 2 seeds, firm whitish flesh,deep yellow skin that is quite thick with latex and very spherical.It has a good taste rivalling Z2,T25 and inca gold but some people prefer gray.E4 abius are similar in size,spherical,paler yellow when ripe,more tranluscent flesh, they have an elongated teat, thinner skin but less prone to bruising,less latex and a richer caramel/vanilla flavour.The interest was not as a commercial species but as a premier backyard type.E4 can also be eaten when quite green.

Thanks for the info. Guess you don't have oriental fruit fly there? They nail all the abius here.

[Mike T]

Med fly down south and qld fruit fly here as well as melon fruit fly,with papaya fruit fly eradicated.There are many native dacus and bactrocera but no orientals.Abiu get left alone.Guava,starfruit sapdillas cop a flogging fromm Qld fly.Ablypeltas,helopeltas,many fruit moth species,fruit bats and a host of other fruitlovers make it a real challenge.

[YearoftheDurian]

Hi everybody!
This is my first post on this forum. It's nice to find another resource.

In response to some of the above statements, no, I am not a durian "novice". I have been eating durians for several years and for the past six months of this journey, I have eaten so many durians I am now getting picky.

Monthongs can indeed fall off the tree and they are so much better this way. I really hate underripe durian. In fact, I find it gives me a stomach ache, whereas a Monthong that is nice and ripe can be quite delicious. I find it a pity that the Thais always cut their durians early, and then use ethylene to ripen them artificially. It's a strange system. I have eaten many split Monthongs and they are much better. You just need to wait a few more days until they make a nice smell and their lips begin to pull back a little along the seams.

An interesting point about the term "over ripe". The Thais call everything that I like to eat "over ripe". I suppose I prefer the fruit Malaysian style I like my fruit strong, creamy, soft, and smelly.

Durians cannot be picked before they are 80% mature or they will never develop the sweetness. All Monthongs are picked at this 80%, which occurs at the 120th day after flowering.

Hope this clears up some of the confusion. And I am an American: English is my first language, so nothing should be lost in translation!

Cheers!
Lindsay

[Mike T]

Welcome YOD I need some back up in the durian department as there so many 'uncultured' palates around.

I actually prefer many of the thai durians that bred to be picked on the tree rather than the droppers in malaysia and indonesia. I still do have a red prawn D175 and a penang 88 in the yard and would love a D197 as my D188 and D190 died in a cyclone.My montong,luang,gumpun,gaan yeow and limberlost varieties are my most treasured.They are all below fruiting age as my fruiters were lost to wind problems.

[fruitlovers]

Monthong is not one cultivar but a whole group of cultivars that are called by that name. The monthong type that we have here and the ones i've had in Thailand are quite terrible once split. I've also been to Penang and eaten their small strong tasting durians, that are let drop to the ground (actually into nets that are strung between the trees). I like both and really don't understand the rivalry. I think its kind of like" my jaboticaba is bigger than your jaboticaba". Really both Thai and Malaysian durians are quite excellent.

[Mike T]

Yes fruitlovers try and dintinguish gumpun and improved montongs and it defies any logic.My latest montong is a shrivelled seed form that is an early fruiter.The line between the thai and malaysian types is blurred with most modern malaysians having some thai blood (sap).It is funny most durian lovers are one side or the other and it defines durians to some extent.Just as people can be a ford or holden person,republican or democrat it is a hazy difference.
Give a thai person  D24 and they'd hock it up and say malay trash,give a Malaysian a montong and they cough it up and say it is bland. 

[fruitlovers]

Yes fruitlovers try and dintinguish gumpun and improved montongs and it defies any logic.My latest montong is a shrivelled seed form that is an early fruiter.The line between the thai and malaysian types is blurred with most modern malaysians having some thai blood (sap).It is funny most durian lovers are one side or the other and it defines durians to some extent.Just as people can be a ford or holden person,republican or democrat it is a hazy difference.
Give a thai person  D24 and they'd hock it up and say malay trash,give a Malaysian a montong and they cough it up and say it is bland.

The Malaysian-Thai rivalry kind of reminds me of the Australian-New Zealand rivalry. I think they both get a kick of bashing each other, but it's mostly friendly fun poking. I went to Penang, Malaysia right after being in Chantaburri, Thailand. I loaded up on durians in both countries. Both were superb. So i found all this "our durians are better than your durians" kind of amusing. The Malays historically have focused on small but very high quality durians for local consumption. The Thais have focused on very large durians for both international and domestic consumption. That may be about to change as Malaysia wants to become a mass exporter of durians to China.