Family: Bombaceae

Origin: Malaysia, Indonesia

Etymology
Malay word, from duri, "thorn"

Growing conditions
tropical (warm, moist climate)

General Information
The fetid odour that this huge spiky fruit gives off has caused it to be banned from hotels and public transportation vehicles in some countries! But don't let that put you off…. its custardy white flesh with a flavour reminiscent of strawberries is a Southeast Asian delicacy.

The durian tree can grow up to 40 m in height, while the fruit can reach the size of a football and weigh over 4 kg. Each fruit is covered in sharp spines and splits into 4 or 5 sections when ripe. Each segment contains 1 to 6 seeds enclosed in yellow or cream-coloured flesh, which is eaten raw or prepared with coconut juice. The seeds are also edible.

The Worldwide Gourmet

Philippines
For Malays and Tamils, eating this "king of fruit" is an ecstatic experience. People here are known to stuff themselves with it until they are sick.

Vietnam
The seeds can be roasted or boiled. This 20 to 40 m tall tree is grown in particular at Lai Thiêu and Binh Duong for its prized and costly fruit.