The smell of durian might be unpleasant for many people, some too repulsed to touch its flesh, let alone eat it. But for the durian obsessed, the pungent smell and the gooey flesh make way for the perfect taste, and they are willing to travel a long distance to hunt for the '€œking of fruit'€.

Jakarta, also known as the Big Durian, launched the Durian Fair 2016 on Saturday, the first event of its kind, in Blok M Square shopping mall in South Jakarta. Durian enthusiasts from all around Greater Jakarta packed out the event, which will run for the coming week.

Thirty-year-old Ita, who came along with her older sister from Tangerang in Banten, attentively sorted out which durians she wanted to buy from the piles on show at the fair. She seemed to have a knack for distinguishing the best durians from the rest.

'€œThe one that is ripened on the tree is normally a good durian. So, I look for the one with a natural stem end. Overripe durian is also not good, so I choose the ones with a weaker smell,'€ she told The Jakarta Post.

'€œI came here because I find many durians sold by vendors on roadsides are not good.'€

Visitors to the fair can visit any of the 20 stands, which offer durians from regions around the country such as Banyumas and Mijen in Central Java, Bogor in West Java and Pandeglang in Banten.

Each stand charges different prices depending on the type and size of each durian. For example at the Rancamaya stand a big durian is sold for Rp 200,000 (US$14.90) while a small one is Rp 100,000. Meanwhile, aother stand sells 1 kilogram of durian for Rp 70,000.

Agus, 60, who came along with his wife and two daughters from Jatinegara in East Jakarta, said the prices were high but the quality was better than what he normally bought from roadside vendors.

'€œThe taste is sweeter, the flesh is thicker and the seeds are smaller,'€ he said while sharing a durian with his wife and daughters.

Besides selling durians, the fair also sells various products made from durian such as dodol (a fudge-like sweet), ice-cream, durian soup, pancakes and juice. Also available are durian seeds, grafted durian trees and fertilizer.

During the opening on Saturday, the fair held a durian competition between all the stands. Sirouf, a type of durian from Banjarnegara in Central Java, came out in first place of the competition, and its seller received Rp 4 million in prize money. Meanwhile, gondang durians, also from Banjarnegara, took second place, followed by pajar from Pandeglang. The owners of the second- and third-placed durians received Rp 3 million and Rp 2 million, respectively.

'€œSirouf durian has a yellow, sweet and tender flesh. There'€™s a slightly bitter aftertaste. That'€™s what makes a perfect durian. The flesh is also thick,'€ explained Mohamad Reza Tirtawinata, head of the judging panel.

South Jakarta Deputy Mayor Irmansyah, who officially opened the fair, said he hoped the fair would introduce Indonesian durians not only on the local stage but also internationally.

'€œOur durians are far more delicious [than durians from overseas]. We should keep promoting them,'€ he said in his speech.

'€œIndeed, the home of durians is here [Indonesia].'€

Several types of imported durians, such as monthong and musang king, have long been considered the best quality durians in Indonesia, meaning they price above local durians.

Mohammad Reza said that some types of durian from Indonesia could actually be on par with the quality of imported durians.

'€œThe problem is that, normally, durians in Indonesia have only been grown by traditional farmers, with traditional facilities on small farms. Meanwhile, in countries such as Thailand and Malaysia, durians are grown by businesses on big farms,'€ he explained.

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