Are you worried about forking out for a dismal purchase? You can spot telltale signs on a durian’s husk and stalk.
PHOTO: COCONUTS SINGAPORE
Have you ever made a bad durian purchase? When we pay good money for what we believe are high-grade durians, finding out we did not get the quality we expected can be heartbreaking.
Tan Siew Chin, a manager with Chin Huat Pte Ltd, has been working in the fruit industry for over 15 years. Here To Play asked the tropical fruit specialist for pointers when selecting durians, and she gladly divulged several insightful tips.
Thorns
When inspecting a durian, Siew Chin recommends first inspecting its husk. A fresh durian has sharp and fresh thorns. However, some varieties like the D101 durian and Golden Phoenix durian might have soft thorns, but tasty and creamy flesh. Sometimes, the bumpy ride to Singapore can blunt a durian’s thorns, which is why some sellers will agree to open a durian to let you taste and inspect the flesh.
Splits
Has the durian split open? While a split might indicate that the durian has been ripe for a while now, Siew Chin says that a slight split is still forgivable. Splits can sometimes be caused by the long journey and the weight of durians stacked on top of it, which is why durians are tied up with rubber bands. Siew Chin notes that some varieties like Golden Phoenix tend to split more easily than others too. To identify an inferior durian from a harmless split, check if the husk has dried up. Siew Chin shares that a dry husk indicates that the flesh inside is likely to be dry and overripe.
Stalk
With one look at its stalk, an experienced buyer can confidently tell if a durian is fresh. The stalks of fresh durians are sturdy. If the stalk is withered, give that durian a pass. Falling from a tall durian tree can damage a durian’s stalk, so it’s better to have the seller open that durian for inspection because the flesh inside could have been damaged by the fall too.
When in doubt, opt for pre-packed durians.
PHOTO: CHIN HUAT PTE LTD
Colour and Sound
The colours of durian varieties differ, but Siew Chin discloses that a dull shade of any colour is often a precursor to an unsatisfying durian experience. When a durian handler knocks a knife against the fruit, it should produce a solid, not watery, sound. The sound of water within the durian indicates that the fruit has collected water. The sound of water from one durian might not be a bad sign, Siew Chin points out, but the sound of water from several durians is an indication that the entire batch has been compromised.
Smell
Siew Chin explains that identifying a superior durian by smell is very difficult, especially for newbies, because our noses will mostly pick up the smell of husk and chlorophyll. However, bitter varieties like Mao Shan Wang durians should have a sharper and slightly alcoholic smell.
It’s best to ask a seller to open a durian before purchase, Siew Chin says. She recommends frequenting a vendor you trust or going to a seller with good reviews.
Durians should ideally be consumed within the same day of purchase. Siew Chin stores the durian flesh that she cannot finish in her refrigerator. If she is going to keep the flesh for more than a week, she freezes it.
She recommends passing on Mao Shan Wang durians that are not labelled with grading but bear a high price. This hints that their retailer probably did not want to reveal the grade (A, B or C) of the Mao Shan Wang durian, but is still trying to make a killing off of them.
If you are a newbie, Siew Chin shares that purchasing pre-packed durians is a good idea, as their transparent packaging lets you inspect the durian flesh. Head over to NTUC FairPrice to take your pick from different varieties of fresh pre-packed durians, which have their varieties declared on their labels.
