D

espite its myriad “no durians allowed” signs, Singapore can offer durian lovers a range of unexpected delights. Banned from public transportation vehicles in 1988 and just about every hotel across the city-state before that, the poor old durian could be forgiven for believing that Singaporeans viewed it as a second-class citizen. But nothing could be further from the truth.

The detractors certainly exist, but thousands of Singaporeans could at times be mistaken for durian-loving Indonesians – such is their ever-growing passion for the formidable fruit.

Figures by the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore for durian imports during 2011 are not yet finalized, but estimates hint at more than 22,700 tons. In 2010, the city-state imported some 19,000 tons.

The rest of the world sources its durians primarily from Thailand, but some 90 percent of Singapore’s durian stock arrives daily from Malaysia on trucks from Prahang and Johor regions.

Bernard Gan runs Durian Lingers, a tropical-fruit store in Singapore, with outlets in Joo Chiat and Bukit Timah. He says he doesn’t really relish the taste of durian, but he seems to know exactly what his customers need and want.

“Singapore lovers of durian don’t like Thailand’s durians,” he says. “They don’t like them because they’re hard and they don’t have much taste.

“If I eat some durian, or have even a taste, I can’t smell my stock,” Gan explains. “But I know that bitter is good and I can see the customers’ happy faces when they see and taste my durians.”

Gan says the best durians he sources come from the Pahang region in Malaysia during April and May. “They arrive at about 7:30 p.m. after traveling for about 10 hours. Once they are on my shelves, they have a 12-hour shelf life. Then they go watery.”

Gan’s durian prices vary depending on season and variety, but the day I visited his store, he told me, “One kilogram costs S$15 and my durian pulp sells for $18 for a two-kilogram frozen pack.”

Just as variable are the prices on the durian-lined streets of Geylang, where open-aired stalls are selling the fruit for a variety of prices, from one durian for $8 to one kilogram for $22. And it seems not much has changed. The Chicago Tribune in 1988 reported that in the open-air stalls of Singapore’s Chinatown, a then durian-rich retail area, the prickly fruit was selling for US$2 for “a small one” and $10 for “a good-sized fruit”.

The D List

The range of durians grown in Malaysia is wide, but the most popular variety sold in Singapore seems to be D24. Any durian showing a D-prefix, such as D1, D2, or D13 were named as such by Malaysia’s agriculture department when they were registered.

Newer species from Malaysia include the “Cat Mountain King”, the “Golden Phoenix”, the “Red Prawn” and the “Green Bamboo”. Gan says Malaysia’s Pahang region grows the Red Prawn and that it’s the best durian there is.  

“They don’t sell in Singapore because they are too expensive,” he tells me. “It has to be flown in, which costs too much.” Though I later found some for sale labeled as such on the streets of Bugis.

“Joe” Tan Kong Eng, a pastry chef at Singapore’s Goodwood Park Hotel whose overseas team is devoted entirely to making durian pastries for the hotel’s long-running Durian Fiesta, says the hotel sources their durians from Malaysia and that during the fiesta they use up to approximately 90kg to 100kg of durians per day to make their pastries.

Running from March until July every year, the hotel’s inaugural Durian Fiesta was held in 1983, since which time it has been a challenge to come up with new and exciting pastry and cake creations year after year.

“The most unusual pastry would be our durian banana chocolate mousse cake,” says Tan. “We know that durian pairs well with chocolate but we wouldn’t have imagined that durian could go well with banana too,” he says. “The durian puff is still the most popular choice. It’s our signature durian pastry.”

Tan says his favourite is the D24 durian, which is considered a premium product by the hotel industry. The Goodwood uses D24 durians for its durian creations but this year the hotel is also promoting a fragrant, fleshy variety called “Mao Shan Wang”, which it introduced last year at the fiesta.

Seasonal fiestas aside, however, so popular is the fruit in Singapore, Joo Chiat’s Durian Lingers’ store has a VIP room which is open seven days a week throughout the year. Here revelers can host up to 30 guests in a space custom-built for alcohol-free “fruit parties”.

“You can book in any time,” says Gan.