Durian rated among Southeast Asia’s best fruits

The fruit received a rating of 3.6 out of 5.

“Often dubbed the king of fruit, durian is an unusual tropical fruit that grows throughout Southeast Asia. A large spiky outer shell reveals a creamy, almost custard-like flesh, which, besides boasting a mildly sweet flavor, is notorious for being incredibly rank-smelling,” TasteAtlas described.

Primarily grown in tropical countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, the durian is distinctive for its large size, strong odor and thorn-covered rind.

However, its aroma belies a rich, creamy flavor, and the fruit has become a popular staple used to prepare specialties such as durian cakes and puffs, durian ice cream or shaved ice, durian fritters and tempoyak (fermented durian).

Musang King, a popular variety originating from Malaysia, ranked 18th on the list.

Prized for its unusual combination of bitter and sweet flavors, Musang King is the most popular variety of durian in Malaysia. Musang King is known for its buttery, thick, bright yellow flesh and robust flavor, with a hint of bitterness.

The Cai Mon durian variety from Vietnam’s Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre ranked 22nd.

“The flesh is thick, the aroma is faint, while the flavors are sweet and rich, and some people say it’s reminiscent of cow’s milk. The fruit contains relatively few seeds,” TasteAtlas wrote about Cai Mon durian.

Mangosteen was voted as the best fruit in Southeast Asia, followed by rambutan and Calamansi.

TasteAtlas said its food rankings are based on the ratings of the audiences, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bots and local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable.

Its purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes tourists may not have experienced.