Durians Durians Everywhere


There is a bumper harvest of durians in Balik Pulau. That translates to good durians that are cheap and delicious. Wuan made a quick trip to Penang yesterday. We went to Balik Pulau this afternoon with Peter for a feast of the thorny kind. Peter took us there via the old windy road from Bayan Lepas to Balik Pulau. All along the way, we could see durian trees with their fruits hanging precariously over the road.


As we turned into Jalan Tun Sardon, we were greeted by makeshift stalls overflowing with durians. I have never seen so many durians before. Everywhere we turned, there were durians, heaps and heaps of them. They were grouped according to size and quality and placed in baskets waiting to be transported by lorries to Perak, Kuala Lumpur and other parts of Malaysia. According to Wuan, Jusco in Taman Maluri was selling Balik Pulau durians at RM30 per kilo.


Wuan and I prefer the smaller sized ?old tree? durians. Old tree durians come from some of the older trees in Balik Pulau, if not the oldest, which have smoother textured flesh and gives off the more authentic durian fragrance. Some of these trees are more than one hundred years old and still producing fruits abundantly. The more popular durians now are bud-grafted and their flesh are not as refined.


A good durian must exude a strong aroma that is both pungent and sweet-smelling at the same time. Its flesh must be sticky but not watery. The taste and flavour varies, depending on the tree and locality. It can range from sweet to bitter. Some prefer durians with orangey coloured flesh. We are not that particular as long as its flesh is sticky, its smell pungent and its taste strong. Wuan prefers the bitter tasting durians. I prefer the sweeter ones. We had several varieties that we ate to our hearts? content. That was our lunch. We also bought some mangosteens for dessert later.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

31 thoughts on “Durians Durians Everywhere”

  1. durians? eek! i don’t take durians at all. hate it! no not because of the smell. just don’t like the soft ‘pulpy’ flesh.

    ok i heard ya – “you don’t know what you are missing, lucia!” 🙂

  2. awwww!!! just when i am back in Melaka is when all the durians and MANGOSTEENS are out!!!!

    *sniff*

    peter you lucky brat you 😛

  3. hehe lucky you. can’t even see one durian flower in kuching. i am a durian addict and i really miss em so much … *sigh*

  4. Natasha,
    If you cannot find Balik Pulau durians in Melaka, you can always hop over to KL to satiate your cravings. Never mind that they are not as fresh or as cheap as back home. Asalkan dapat makan, ok lah. Mangosteens are not cheap though. They are going for RM5 per kilo. For the bigger sized fruits, that is about ten fruits to a kilo. That is more expensive than Sunkist oranges!

    Hanyi,
    When do the durians in Kuching usually flower? And are they as good as the durians from Penang? ;P

  5. Viewtru,
    Yes, RM30 per kilo is ridiculously expensive. Even if that is price of the flesh only, the seed alone should amount to more than 50% of its weight. As there is a bumper harvest here, we Penangites are getting it cheap.

    KA,
    At least you still know how to appreciate the best nature has to offer. 😀

  6. loves my new nick, loves the smell of durians, loves the taste of durian, looked at the photos, can nearly smelt it. look at my hectic schedule, makes a note to travel to Penang. Thereby will contact friend in Penang when the date to travel is confirmed.

  7. Fresh Durians,
    Good for you. I can see that you are a man who know your durians. 😀

  8. Yum… mangosteens! Have been stuffing myself with mangosteens, rambutans, lychees and jambu air lately… I think they’re all in season now so I’m in pig-out heaven! 🙂

    We’re so lucky to be living in Malaysia! 🙂

  9. I like mangosteens but I have problems opening it. I only eat if there is somebody to do that for me. Mum used to open it very nicely. And she taught Wuan how to open a mangosteen the proper way. Yes, there is a proper way to peel open a mangosteen!

  10. Hi Peter
    I,ve never tried durian, over here they are $5 AU each.

    Although was gonna try buy n try until nurreez a chat friend ,told me they make ya hot n they really smell.Maybe oneday i will try em.

    tcz

  11. Sweetspirit,
    Are those durians local or imported? I believe durians are being cultivated in Cairns. If imported, they are probably Thai durians. Thai durians are harvested before they are ripe while Malaysian durians are allowed to ripen on the tree and then allowed to fall off naturally.

  12. Hi Peter

    The durians are imported,the tags state product of malaysia,,,,maybe we are being had hehe.

    Do you get fever like symptoms when you eat
    durian?

  13. Sweetspirit,
    I feel heaty inside the body if I eat too much durians but no fever. When Mum was around, we used to buy enough for breakfast lunch and dinner. Yes, I am a durian glutton.

  14. Peter

    Ok if you like durian that much,guess i’ll try it this week.Only hope i can open it properly n they don’t smell as bad as nurreez said they do.

    I will let you know how i go with it,and if i like okz.

    tcz

  15. Durians are my worst enemy. I have always been labelled as “not a true Malaysian” because for the past 21 years of my life, I’ve never ever tasted a single durian flesh before!! 😛

  16. Sweetspirit,
    All the best. Durians should be easy to open if you know how. Still, having eaten durians all my life, I never have to open one, so please do not ask me how.

    Cherry,
    It is still not too late! But then again, durians are an acquired taste, just like the other exotic food.

  17. Ok Peter
    I won’t ask ,gonna buy one 2day either try it 2night or 2morrow with my friend J,,,,Let you know how it goes 2morrow night
    tcz

  18. Hi Peter

    Can u believe i couldn’t buy a durian pfft only a few weeks ago there was so many lah.
    Now they are not available pffttt.

    Oh well another time, i just decided to have chocolate mud cake hmmmm yummy,forget about diet hehe.
    oh tcz

  19. Sweetspirit,
    Here in Penang, the durian season is going to last till June. If you know where to find, a relatively good durian can be had for RM3 each.

  20. Gaaahhh…Durians…its a bio-hazard nightmare. Not only they can physically kill you, they also are akin to a potent gaseous toxin. Eat at your own risk.

    Hehehehe…I’m not being very Malaysian now am I…:)

  21. Edrei,
    Durians are that hazardous huh. Nevetheless, I am going to risk it and going on another durian feast soon.

  22. Hi Peter
    Durian are available once again over here,They are from Thailand,,,called Frozen Durian “moth”
    something.Have you ever heard of a moth type?

  23. Sweetspirit,
    I am sorry I am not familiar with such durians. As far as possible I try to stay away from Thai durians. Their pulpy flesh is thick and coarse in texture. They are plucked before they ripen. But most of all, I heard that pesticides are used extensively during fruiting seasons. That is why you never see a rotten Thai durian.

  24. Peter

    No wonder i feel sick,tried some today n it was gross n yucky.
    Everyone that tried it was saying gross yuck blah blah .

    I have no idea why they sell out so quick,
    over here as the one i tried the person
    eating it would need a acquired taste.
    Or want a sickie hehe

  25. Sweetspirit,
    Since you did not like it at the first try, I guess you will not be making a beeline to the store for more durians. I am sure you will find mangosteens more palatable and appetizing. They fruit at the same time as durians and is usually eaten after durian to wash away the sweetness.

  26. Hi Peter

    Hehe yeah no more durian 4 me,actually it was $5 au per kilo.
    But you know it weighed like 5.5kg pfft and i was like oh don’t wanna pay that for something i might like.

    The girl at the store was like “Oh i remember you
    i was like huh.She was like yeah you’re always in here, you had a broken foot a while back.
    Pffft silly me i was like huh,ooops but that was months ago.Anyway she gave me the durian for free
    so glad i didn’t pay for it.

    As for mangosteens ,im not sure if they are available over here.

    But will check 2 morrow ,
    tcz

  27. I am from balik pulau too. However I don’t really like durian but still proud of having durians produce by this area. This webpage reminds me of my sweet hometown. Thanks….

  28. Lia,
    You are welcome. Balik Pulau produces one of the best durians in the whole of Malaysia. For me it is Balik Pulau durians or nothing.

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