Demystifying the durian: 10 ways to savor the 'king of fruit'

Revered by some and reviled by others, here's how they eat the world's stinkiest fruit in Melaka

By Debra Pangestu 30 November, 2011

Durian cendol

Cendol is the quintessential Malaysian dessert. Red beans and jelly-like strips of cendol, made out of rice flour and coconut milk, are piled in the bottom of a bowl, which is then covered with a hefty scoop of shaved ice. A generous helping of durian sauce is poured over the mass, followed by a dousing of thick, dark, fragrant gula Melaka.
Try it at: Jonker Dessert 88, 88 Jalan Hang Jebat, +60 (0)19 397 5665.

Durian cheese tart

This cozy little café by the Melaka River bakes some of the best Portuguese egg tarts in town in addition to a more unorthodox offering: durian cheese tarts. Thick, creamy and dense with a buttery shortbread crust, these are a good choice for the durian novice.
Try them at: 45 Lorong Hang Jebat, +60 (0)6 282 1181

Durian chocolate

Chocolate and durian may sound like an odd combination, but it works. Friendly Planet is a specialty chocolate shop that sells local, unique confections such as coconut chocolate and tiramisu. The durian chocolates are tooth-achingly sweet, but don’t have a particularly strong durian flavor.
Try them at: 45-G Jalan Ong Kim Wee, +60 (0)6 281 3694

Durian cream puff

The folks at Pooh Keong have taken the classic French cream puff up a few notches by filling the traditional choux pastry with durian purée. The cream puffs are made fresh daily and are kept in a closed, refrigerated compartment to prevent the crème patisserie from losing its luscious consistency.
Try them at: 96 Jalan Hang Jebat, +60 (0)12 613 4338

Durian crunchy roll

A thick, sticky durian purée filling is encased in a sheet of spring roll pastry before getting deep-fried right before your eyes. The skin, like its namesake, is crunchy, golden brown and piping hot, while the filling is gooey and warm. But be forewarned -- the durian filling, although tasty, has a very strong durian taste.
Try it at: Kiosk located inside Ice Land on 32 Jalan Hang Jebat

Durian crispy roll

Like the durian crunchy roll, the durian crispy roll consists of the same thick, sticky durian puree, but is wrapped in Vietnamese rice paper. The result, once it has been deep-fried, is much more delicate. It's chewier than the name suggests, but it’s still artery-clogging good.
Try it at: Kiosk located inside Ice Land on 32 Jalan Hang Jebat

Durian fireball

Similar in shape, size and texture to the red bean sesame seed balls found in nearly every Chinese bakery, the durian fireball is a sticky, glutinous golf ball-sized orb stuffed with a creamy, lightly flavored durian custard. These chewy balls are sparingly coated in breadcrumbs before being plunged into the deep-fryer until they turn golden brown.
Try it at: Kiosk located inside Ice Land on 32 Jalan Hang Jebat

Durian ice cream

It looks like vanilla, but it sure doesn’t smell like it. It’s creamy, toothsome and tangy with a subtle aftertaste, and the durian smell isn’t nearly as pungent as the durian fruit itself. Durian ice cream can be found at nearly every roadside stall on Jalan Hang Jebat, which the locals call Jonker Street.
Try it at: Jalan Hang Jebat, or Jonker Street

Durian jam

Made with a base of eggs, sugar, durian and coconut milk, the durian jam at San Shu Gong is quite similar in taste and texture to kaya, a coconut-egg jam popular in Singapore. The jam is thick, luscious, rich and cloyingly sweet with a delicate durian taste. To counteract its sweetness smear the jam on some toasted bread with a dab of creamery butter.
Try it at: San Shu Gong is a local delicacy shop on the edge of Chinatown, 33 Jalan Hang Jebat, +60 (0)6 282 8381

Durian Pancake

Unlike the spongy American pancakes or the delicate French crepes, the durian pancakes in Melaka are thin and crispy, yet chewy and pliable, similar to the Indian dosa. Several stalls at the Jonker Street Night Market, which takes place every weekend, serve up durian pancakes. The pancake is filled with a frozen durian mash, which still has some durian chunks and fibers intact -- quite overpowering -- but some places use a smear of durian jam instead of the mashed fruit.
Try it at: Jalan Hang Jebat.

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With its formidable thorn-covered husk, sweet custard-like flesh and distinctive smell -- with descriptions ranging from the milder “rotten, mushy onions” by "Bizarre Foods" host Andrew Zimmern, to the more noxious: “Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother,” by "No Reservations" host Anthony Bourdain -- one thing is for certain:

There is no other fruit on earth quite like the durian.

From December to February, some areas of Southeast Asia celebrate a secondary durian season, after the main one from June to August. Melaka, on the Malaysian coast half way betwen Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, is a mecca for foodies and history buffs alike, and it fairly brims with durian in numerous varieties, shapes and sizes.

But if the thought of nibbling on a slimy, yellow orb that smells like a latrine makes you want to retch, don’t fret. Click through the gallery for 10 ways you can get your durian fix without running for the bucket.

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