Durian - Thailand's Golden Fruit of Kings

​Durian season is almost upon us and I am ready.  I am one of very few foreigners in Thailand that has loves durian.  This affection was not immediate for when I first arrived in Thailand I found the smell of durian both overwhelming and repugnant.  I can place a specific time when I began enjoying durian but I know I have loved it at least the last 5 years.  

I recently had a chance to tour a Durian Farm in Isaan.  You can view the tour below:

The Smell

It's quite strange, durian smells quite bad ( I used to compare it to the smell of dog poop) but now that I like it I love the smell.  But the smell has not changed, it is still banned in public places such as hotels, trains, even taxis. So just my perception changed..  I love durian! 

The Fruit

There are three main varieties of durian, Monthong, Chanee and Kanyao.  They all have there own distinctive smell and flavor.  My personal favorite is the monthong, which admittedly is of mild flavor.  The monthong seems to be quite popular with Thais as well.  I will be honest though, I still can't tell them apart! 

The Season

Durian starts being harvested in April and continues through August.  There are seasonal variation due to the area within Thailand that the durian is grown and the variety of durian.  Currently, there are durian on the streets but not monthong yet. I'll be waiting for it in May. ​