How to get durian fruit

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The King of fruits. There's not much to say here except that there is a good reason why it's called the king.

Creamy, deliciousy, dreamy Golden Pillow Monthong.

Each box comes with one FRESH tree cut durian. This durian has never been frozen! Since durian is highly perishable, we will be shipping them with rush delivery or in coolers and cold packs depending on location. This is to keep everything as fresh as possible. There are NO Refunds on fresh Durian orders. 

Because durian fruits vary in size, we don't know how many pounds will be sent. It is very rare to have Fresh Tree Cut Durian imported into Florida so it is quite expensive at this time. If we get a large amount of durian orders now then we may be able to lower the price in the future!

Treat yourself, you deserve it <3

Copyright Darlene A. Schmidt

Looking somewhat like a sea urchin, durian is a unique tropical fruit mainly found in Asian countries. It has been called the "king of fruits" because of its large size (about 1 foot long), weight, and its volume of edible flesh. Usually, durian is either loved at first taste or immediately hated. Its fruit is sweet and buttery in texture, with very little juice—it may remind you of a Creamsicle. Durian can be eaten fresh or used to make various types of desserts.

The most unusual thing about the durian is that it has a famously strong smell—so much so, it is banned from most public places in Southeast Asia, including hospitals and trains. When traveling, it is always humorous for Westerners to see a "no durian" sign posted beside the "no smoking" sign!

Thailand is the world's largest exporter of durian, and the fruit is sold in Asian markets or Asian grocery stores here in the U.S. Look for light-colored spikes without any dark brown patches or bits of white between the spikes, which are signs of overripeness. Durian fruit freezes well and is often exported and sold frozen. Store your durian in the refrigerator or a cool place until you are ready to open it.

In order to cut the fruit, place the durian stem side down on a clean cutting surface. Using a large, sharp knife, make a cut through the thick skin in the top of the durian, about 3 to 4 inches long. As you cut, pull back the skin with your other hand, as shown.

Use your hands to open the durian. The skin will rip fairly easily. Just be careful not to poke yourself against the spikes. You should be able to open the durian completely now. Lay the two halves down on your cutting board.

Using a spoon (or your hands), remove the large "pods" of fruit. Place the fruit on a plate.

Before eating or serving, it's best to remove the stones. In some Southeast-Asian countries, these stones are boiled or roasted and eaten.

Use your knife to cut along the seam down the center of the inside "shell" and you will find more sections of fruit. 

Remove the additional sections of fruit with a spoon or your fingers and add to the plate.

Working with durian can leave your hands smelling of durian all day long. Here's a tip: Running hot water through (or in and around) the durian skin creates a very mild lye water, which when combined with soap, helps gets rid of the smell. 

Since durian is a tropical fruit from Southeast Asia, it is no surprise that many recipes are from that part of the world. Give Laotian sticky rice with durian a try—a delicious dessert made with coconut milk. Or maybe you could whip up a homemade ice cream flavored with durian—a nice change from vanilla!

The best thing about durian is that it is very healthy, with high concentrations of vitamins and minerals. It is unique among fruit in that it contains the B-complex vitamins and so is especially great for vegetarians and vegans. It is also rich in dietary fiber and high in vitamin C, potassium, copper, and magnesium.

Durian fruit is known as the smelliest fruit in the world. This may sound a little dramatic, but it’s true. It’s so true, in fact, that most public transit systems throughout Hong Kong, Japan, and Thailand – here the fruit is quite common – have banned the fruit. Even most taxis refuse to carry passengers with the fruit. 

So why, then, do people suffer through the smell to eat it? It’s still a desirable fruit due to it’s sweet and unique flavor, cheesecake-like texture, and an incredible list of health benefits. While it might be difficult to get home, it’s well worth the effort – often nicknamed “the king of fruit.” 

To begin with, the durian fruit has a long list of nutrients with high potency. Highlights include 80% of daily vitamin C, 61% of daily thiamine, 39% of daily manganese, 25% daily copper, and many more – in just one cup. It also contains 9 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein per serving. 

This strong nutrient profile makes the durian fruit not only the smelliest fruits in the whole world but one of the most nutritious as well. 

The durian fruit and its parts – the leaves, husk, root, and fruit – have all been used in traditional Malaysian medicine to treat various conditions, such as fever, jaundice, and skin problems. It’s also a popular healing aid as studies suggest it can fight infection, lower blood sugar, and help prevent cancer and heart disease. 

While it’s extremely nutritious, it’s important to note that the fruit should not be mixed with alcohol. This sounds like a strange directive for a simple fruit, but studies have found that the sulfur-like compounds in the fruit may prevent enzymes from naturally breaking down the alcohol. This results in higher levels of alcohol in your blood. 

If you’re game to try this enticing, exotic treat, you may have your work cut out for you searching for durian fruit for sale locally. If you don’t live in a country where it’s common, you’re likely better off to buy fresh durian fruit online and have it delivered. Be prepared, though, as the fruit is only available in limited quantities even online and it’s often extremely expensive. 

If you're looking for something a little closer to home, then there are many other types of fruit that you can buy online, like cranberries, apples, blueberries, and sour cherries.

Where to Buy Fresh Durian Fruit Online

1. Buy Exotic Fruits
2. Exotic Fruits USA
3. Miami Fruit

1. Buy Exotic Fruits

Buy Exotic Fruits love exotic, adventurous fruit and they’re dedicated to making such fruits as accessible to those in the United States as they can. Overall, they’ve achieved a 99% customer satisfaction rate and many customers return regularly to get their fix of fruit that’s often unavailable anywhere else. 

Their selection includes everything from the slightly more common crab apples to things you might have never heard of, like cherimoya, sapodilla, and rambutan. Not only do they have some of the most impressive selection but they guarantee freshness as well. They work hard to source only the best fruits before packaging them quickly and shipping them to customers as soon as they possibly can. 

Their fresh durian fruit comes from Southeast Asia and is processed in chemical-free plantations every time. Due to limited quantity, they sell it by the fruit, meaning you get one durian fruit per box. If all you want is a little treat, you can buy a single fruit, shipped anywhere in the United States. 

2. Exotic Fruits USA

Exotic Fruits USA has been passionate about exotic fruit since 1899 and is currently the lead online retailer in exotic fruits. They work hard to source the rarest and most exotic fruits that so often seem impossible to come by. Beyond finding them for you, they guarantee superior flavor, maximum freshness, and premium quality. 

While you can create an order of individual fruits, they also have many other options for even the most dedicated exotic fruit enthusiasts. They have gift baskets available if you want to treat yourself or someone else.

For those that want a more regular exotic experience, they have various fruit of the month clubs that you can join. This includes a basic exotic fruit box, a mini exotic fruit box, and dedicated apple, pear, and organic boxes if you want something more specific. 

These boxes ship every month and can be purchased in sets of three, six, nine, or twelve months. The basic exotic fruit boxes will ship a different fruit each month and you can find the schedule for the year on the website. For example, February is blood oranges, and August is plumcots. If you don’t like the variety available, simply choose another box. If you love apples, the apple box contains a selection of more than 70,00 apple varieties that they have access to.

Their fresh durian fruit is particularly spectacular – they boast the most flavorful durian available. Considering the durian fruit is already known for its potent flavor, this is a bold and exciting claim. They have five different kinds of durian available, including regular durian fruit, mao shan wang durian, XO durians, sultan king durians, and musang king durians.

Currently, the only ship to the United States.  

3. Miami Fruit

Miami Fruit is another company that’s passionate about its exotic and tropical fruit and they work hard to deliver the best quality fruits throughout the United States. What sets them apart from other resources is that – almost – all of their fruit is grown right in the United States, by hardworking farmers that are just as passionate about producing high-quality tropical fruit. 

You can buy boxes of fresh fruit based on what’s currently in season, from coconuts and limes to dragon fruit, passionfruit, and everything in between. You can sign up for their newsletter for regular updates, or check their website to see when your favorite comes back in season. 

If you don’t want to wait, they have a huge variety of freeze-dried, dehydrated, and otherwise preserved tropical fruits that are available online at any time. 

In addition to individual fruits, you can buy a variety box if you want a little of everything. Their basic variety box will include the best of what they have in season at the time of ordering. The premium variety box includes the same as well as a limited number of rare fruit. For banana enthusiasts, they also have a banana variety box that contains a mix of their available exotic bananas. 

Their durian fruit is available fresh, never frozen, and shipped to your door quickly and well-preserved. Durian is one thing that they do have to import and quantities are extremely limited. To guarantee you get one after the next harvest, you can pre-order. Or, you can see if they have any frozen durian available if fresh isn’t an option. 

If you’re new to any of their exotic and tropical fruits, they offer a free smoothie recipe e-book to get you started with some ideas. 

They ship throughout the United States and have recently started shipping to Canada as well, though they don’t offer their sales or discounts to Canadian customers. 

Things to Consider When Buying Fresh Durian Fruit Online

Named the king of fruit for a reason, durian is a widely sought-after fruit by exotic enthusiasts, and yet it’s often very hard to come by due to a limited quantity being imported from overseas. There’s also a lot to consider when finding fresh durian for sale, so make sure you don’t rush into a purchase. 

The Cost

One of your biggest considerations should be the cost. Due to its rare and elusive nature, the fruit is often quite costly. Most companies do their best to keep prices down as much as they can, but pricing is subject to the availability of the fruit. A single durian fruit can cost around $100 if you’re lucky, it can be even more. 

If you’ve got some money to spare it’s a great treat to order yourself, even if it’s just to say you’ve tried it. However, the price point of the fruit makes it difficult for most to incorporate it into their diet regularly. 

The Source

Considering the amount of money you’re paying, you want to make sure that your durian fruit is coming from a good place that produces them in a healthy way. A good exotic fruit company will be open and transparent on their website about where they get their fruit and how it’s handled. 

Durian is grown in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Malaysia, with some locations importing to the west more than others. 

There are a few American locations that attempt to grow the fruit, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico, where the temperature is sometimes favorable. There is also a small area in Miami where the fruit is sometimes grown. Of course, purchasing it from an American grower will likely be cheaper, but don’t get your hopes up as quantities will be limited and they’ll go fast. 

Availability 

Of course, availability is limited so even if you’re willing to spend the money, you might not be able to get the fruit. If you can’t find it fresh, consider looking for frozen or freeze-dried options. If you don’t want to wait, this is the next best thing.