U.K. and Ireland - Durian in London - best source? (Personal recs only please)

Firstly, I know where to buy some of the Durian in London.

It's available in Gerrard Street (China town)
Central/South Hackney (Vietnamese shops)
Colindale (Oriental City)

When I pass this monster fruit I tend to stop next to it and inhale deeply - I adore the smell. Last time I went to Chinatown with my husband I got him to park my wheelchair next to some (while he got the Jah Jah Sauce..mmm) just so I could savour the aroma.

I thought I'd finally try some in Thailand last year, but a business trip made that impossible.

I find I keep thinking about Durian and I'm ready to have my first taste. But I'm concerned I might get negatively imprinted with the taste of a bad one and get put off it unecessarily.

Are there any true Durian lovers out there who could give me some guidance?

Is it possible to get good quality Durian in London, or should I not bother and wait until I can get to somewhere where it grows/falls naturally? (could be a while)

If London does get fine Durian, any tips as to where to go, what to look for, best time of the year to try, what to avoid, etc...?

I'm supremely conscious of how awful fruit can be in England (I'd imagine I hated melon if I hadn't eated glorious ones in Spain, or that mangosteens were over-rated if I hadn't enjoyed some grown in a friend's garden, picked the day before and flown in from Sri Lanka... my mouth is still watering...)


I'm guessing the fact that I love the way Durian smell is a point in my favour, but any pointers from conoisseurs of this controversial fruit would be very much appreciated. I want my first time to be special (at the very least, not appalling).

Thanks!

To be honest I'd wait until you can go somewhere where it comes from.

But if you insist on eating it, do it in the Oriental city, they have a little Durian bar outside, let the guys pick it for you, they're pretty decent at it.

I hasten to add now that I'm not a fan of the fruit.

Also make sure that you eat Mangosteen after the durian, durian is considered a warming fruit, and the mangosteen takes care of that.

Alternatively, you could do what someone suggested when asked to describe the experience of eating a durian, and save a lot of money in the process: Take a bowl of custard, and eat it in a public toilet.

Alternatively, you could do what someone suggested when asked to describe the experience of eating a durian, and save a lot of money in the process: Take a bowl of custard, and eat it in a public toilet.

I'm pretty sure that was David Attenborough :) But everyone I've seen on TV describe their experience this way always mentions a sewer smell before they eat the fruit. I find the aroma to be enticing and delicious, not even a hint of WC (I'm hoping it's nature's way of balancing my shameful hatred for coriander/cilantro leaves).

Oh that's what the smell is in Chinatown food stores, I manage to buy stuff in there only if I have a cold :p .

everyone I've seen on TV describe their experience this way always mentions a sewer smell before they eat the fruit.

oh trust me, the smell is there while you're eating the fruit too...

If you find that you like it, the guys selling it in the outside section of oriental city do an eat as much as you like deal too....

But if you insist on eating it, do it in the Oriental city, they have a little Durian bar outside, let the guys pick it for you, they're pretty decent at it.


Definitely have to agree with aceman. If you can get there on Saturday or Sunday mornings they also grill some delicious Satay.


Make the most of it. Oriental City will be closing down in 7 to 8 months to make way for some flats, a gym and a B&Q. :( :mad:

Make the most of it. Oriental City will be closing down in 7 to 8 months to make way for some flats, a gym and a B&Q. :( :mad:

Oh pooh!
That means they lost the petition (http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/save-oriental-city-campaign.html) :(
What happened to the Ken Livingston who came into office....? :td:
(no point in glorifying a city's multicultural identity and then letting it starve)

Make the most of it. Oriental City will be closing down in 7 to 8 months to make way for some flats, a gym and a B&Q. :( :mad:

I think the theory is that they will get their plots back etc, but these things strangely never seem to happen...

no point in glorifying a city's multicultural identity and then letting it starve


Totally agree. I think it's a big loss to the area and London for that matter. :td:


I think the theory is that they will get their plots back etc, but these things strangely never seem to happen...

Thats what I heard from some of the restaurants owners. Apparently in 3 years once the so called redevelopment is complete they are supposed to build a "mini food court". However as you rightly mention these things never seem to materialise. :(

Hey, if tearing down this place means less durian in London, they should start tearing today!

Note: My statement should not be taken as a reflection on cultural diversity, but a personal rec about durian. :) :)

deleted - repeated post

RichardinSF, you're awful! :p :p :p :)

Does make me wonder if the best way to campaign successfully against this kind of thing (and ensure that the small food court gets built) would be to threaten the developers with durian should they not comply. Wouldn't be too hard to have shopkeepers donate over ripe Durian to the cause and go waft it under the new appartments when potential buyers are looking over the place.

I am concerned though, it's only because of Oriental City's scale (I've been visiting ever since it was Yaohan Plaza) that I continue to brave Colindale (although I have to admit that I've not been for a while as the wheelchair makes it more difficult - the Northern Line is now a no-no). Even if the developers do keep their promise, the incentive to make the journey will have completely diminished - I go to get groceries, the food court has always been an 'extra'.


Finally - as the Durian stall seems the best option (if I am to try Durian within the next 5-6 years or so) does anyone know when the Durian that makes it to the UK is in season/at its best? I'm assuming that its provenance will be Thailand

I'm assuming that its provenance will be Thailand

Malaysian durians have more "umph" than the Thai species.

My durian experience comes almost entirely from the Philippines. There they have durian candy, durian ice cream, ..... think "Forrest Gump" with durian substituted for shrimp. I would say that Philippine durian has got to be the smelliest in the world even if I hadn't ever smelled any other.

Laplap, why not wait until you can get to southeast Asia to try the genuine article, fresh off whatever it comes off of? :) :) :)

I personally love the stuff...I've had it in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand...where I can assume it was quite fresh. This seems like the kind of a fruit that one would NOT want to touch after anything that could compromise its freshness...like several thousand miles of travel. :o
To describe the experience...its rather intense....think onion+garlic+sugar+unknown flavour+a touch of rot (not unlike one might experience in some papayas). For me, this is somehow strangely pleasing...but then again I'll eat anything. Also, I would recommend not talking to anyone for about a week after eating it. You thought garlic breath was bad....:p

-W

Laplap, why not wait until you can get to southeast Asia to try the genuine article, fresh off whatever it comes off of? :) :) :)

To be honest, I said 5-6 years because I can't see my having the opportunity to travel to South East Asia for a very long time. For the forseeable future, leisure travel is likely to be split between Spain and Japan, where I have family.

Unless I can magically pick up a cheap ticket to NRT with Malaysia Air (MrLapLap's favoured airline for travel in Y) I can't envision it happening :( (said S.O.'s health deteriorates noticeably in hot humid countries).

So far no personal recs for Durian in London. Perhaps I should try my luck in Tokyo... but again, might not be for a while...


(The only person immediately linked to me who has ever tried the stuff was MrLapLap's grandfather who spent a rather long period having to subsist on it. Apparantly, it ended up seeping out of his pores - 'oily', 'smelly' and 'goo' were the terms used to describe this phenomenon.)

It will take quite a few attempts before you are able to appreciate the aroma, the texture, the moisture content and the taste (bitter or sweet) of the better grade durians. So I dont think you should be overly obsessed in getting the best experience on your first attempt.

I personally would not purchase the fruit during raining season as the fruit tends to be "wet" and soggy after heavy rainfalls. Most people prefer the sweeter version of the fruit while I like bitter version which seems to have a very slight alcohol content. And I find durians to be particularly pleasant to my taste buds after a sour meal like tom yum goong.

And thanks for starting this thread, I couldnt resist the temptation and I am actually enjoying eating durians now while I type :D

(my durian is a little "wet" , i forgot it rained heavily here 2-3 days ago; but still an enjoyable experience)

When is rainy season in Malaysia?

Monsoon season is around June in Tokyo and wet typhoons come in September.

(I informed myself some more using http://www.durianpalace.com)

The Thai fruit might be alright as the fruit is supposed to ripen off the tree... once the Thai Durians start showing any cracks in the membrane casing they're already over-ripe. I'll use my nose, shake the fruit and listen for some movement, expect the fruit to feel light for its size (the opposite to coconuts), check for cracks and holes, and look carefully at the stem (which should be thick, healthy looking and emit a clear sweet sap - just as figs do - milkiness is a no-no).

Come to think of it, its raining season throughout most of the year here (west coast of the malay peninsula) except during Dec-March and July-Sept.

Unlike the way its sold in London's Chinatown with the fruit intact (i.e. the traditional way), most durian vendors here and supermarkets in Thailand sell the fruit with the shell removed these days. The edible flesh are packed with a cling flim (much in the same manner Sainburys pack your chicken fillet) so you can see what you are buying though you cant really smell the aroma.

Hope you "enjoy" your first durian experience ;)

they also sell it like that in Oriental City, about £8 for 3 pieces.

Isn't the thai Monthong Durian supposed to be the best?

I have to admit to not knowing much about Thai durians but as I have mentioned earlier I do find Thai durians to be generally lacking in aroma and the taste seems flat. The texture and colour looks good though.

The most commonly available "premium" durians here is the D24 breed though my local durian vendor do sell other more superior "premium" breed which he used local slangs to describe.

For more "technical" info on durians, read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian

I wonder if the number of durian-consuming ethnicities in the U.K. isn't big enough. IN my part of the world, even the normal supermarkets (incidentally owned by the family that also owns Tesco/Fortnum & Mason) have long sold whole durians imported from Thailand (not sure if any is imported from the Philippines). I can't eat any more than one or two so a whole one would be wasted. It does come frozen though, only way the airlines will transport it?

@:-) I wonder if the number of durian-consuming ethnicities in the U.K. isn't big enough. IN my part of the world, even the normal supermarkets (incidentally owned by the family that also owns Tesco/Fortnum & Mason) have long sold whole durians imported from Thailand (not sure if any is imported from the Philippines). I can't eat any more than one or two so a whole one would be wasted. It does come frozen though, only way the airlines will transport it?

Even if London's "durian-consuming ethnicities" come low as a proportional % figure of the total population, the numbers are still HUGE - possibly higher than Toronto or New York. (I understand Americans sometimes pop over to Canada to get their 'fix' as the supply chain there is better)

Those with East Asian backgrounds tend to sink under the UK's Racial Monitoring radars, but they are still numerable. Also, the majority tend to stay in London when given the option.

I can only show you this PDF document (http://www.britainusa.com/fcopub/pdf/EthnicDiversity.pdf) and assume that out of the 200,000 British/Chinese, half of them (minimum) will live in London, and out of the 800,000 classified as 'other' I'm going to guess that 400,000 of those are from East Asia.

My conservative estimate is that there are between 100,000 & 250,000 potential Durian eaters in London, perhaps more.


More info on London's ethnic make-up here
http://www.guardian.co.uk/britain/article/0,2763,1395362,00.html


I can only assure you from observation that a lot of Durian gets sold - and if you want to buy fertilised duck eggs (balut), I can direct you towards those too.

OT response to above post: You can certainly get balut and durian in the SF bay area, maybe not on every street corner, but there's no need to pop over to Canada! I've seen durian for sale in NYC Chinatown also, dunno about balut.

OT response to above post: You can certainly get balut and durian in the SF bay area, maybe not on every street corner, but there's no need to pop over to Canada! I've seen durian for sale in NYC Chinatown also, dunno about balut.
I'll take it on faith why people feel it necessary to drive huge distances to get the durian they want. For all I know they want a Malay variety and not one from Thailand (eg, I'm not a fan of the sweet red apples prevalent in Spain, but I love the acid charged green varieties common in England. You could also say that melons are available from most British supermarkets, but I know full well that they're a waste of money and will go to the Turkish/Greek Cypriot shops in Green Lanes, North London to get an edible one) or it could be that Toronto is nearer for them than Seattle or SFO. I understand that the USA has only recently (in the past 10 years or so) relaxed some of it's laws on importing what it regarded as 'unsanitary' food whereas Canada has been more open to exotic imports for far longer.

But that was the point of this thread, to see if there were any Durian lovers who knew the ins and outs of buying this fruit in London.

I'm pretty picky about the other fruit I eat and don't just buy it from the nearest source, I was assuming that Durian fans would be even more fastidious.

Unfortunately, I haven't seen the durian stall (nor the next door outdoor satay stall) at Oriental City open for a long time - I don't know whether they only open for summer or whether they've both closed down ? :(

For all I know they want a Malay variety and not one from Thailand

This is indeed why I am curious, because the Durian eaters I know, serious connoisseurs let me assure you, eat the Thai variety. These are all people from Singapore, eating them in Singapore, where I assume that the Malay type would be easier to get hold of.

AFAIK the durians sold in london are for the most part Thai.

This is indeed why I am curious, because the Durian eaters I know, serious connoisseurs let me assure you, eat the Thai variety. These are all people from Singapore, eating them in Singapore, where I assume that the Malay type would be easier to get hold of.

Far from the truth.

If the people that you know from Singapore prefer Thai durian, I can assure you they are far from being "serious connoisseurs" (I have lived in Singapore for several years). The "serious connoisseurs" in Singapore usually drive up to Segamat for their durian fix.

Thai durians are "generally" highly commercialised, easily available and cheaper than Malaysian durians. Infact we do get Thai durians here in KL as well (when the local durians are not inseason) and I dont touch them eventhough its cheaper.

Thailand may have better food, better beaches, nicer people (and prettier girls ;)) but not better durians (at least the ones I have tasted)

I've just got back from Oriental City Colindale having had my first taste of Durian.

First - the Durian Centre is no longer there. (just as jhm suspected)

I thought I'd try some of the plastic wrapped stuff from the supermarket instead (they had some whole Durian fruit which smelled delicious - so I thought I'd give it a go.)

Ended up being a complete waste of money.

Fruit was completely under-ripe. Only truly discernable taste was that of onion (lightly cooked and allowed to cool or slightly rotten, your call).

Amidst that taste there was a hint of something tantalisingly fragrant and sweet - but I guess that would be like trying to work out the flavour of a yellow/black ripe plantain from tasting a green one.

No creaminess - the durian had a texture similar to that of an onion with a particularly fat and juicy inner ring. Obviously under-ripe.

I didn't actually hate it, and I'm not writing off durians just yet. But I won't be trying to sate my curiosity with Thai durians. One day, no idea when, perhaps several years in the future, I hope to try Durian again. Perhaps in Malaysia.

I love the scent that comes from whole Durian, I'm sure that somewhere there's a fruit that will encapsulate at least some of that intoxicating fragrant sweetness.

last week, the newly opened prece supermarket in tokyo midtown roppongi had a solitary durian for sale at 6800 yen. I know someone bought it because it was gone in two days and did not look as if it was that ripe. also a good time to reference the latest goings on in the world of durian cultivation

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/world/asia/08durian.html?ex=1333684800&en=bc818fd0f3339f36&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&

i am a big fan.