Rare Durians of Borneo!

 
Durio oxleyanus
small green beautiful fruits with very long sharp spines, smooth creamy flesh with an excellent unique durian flavor that includes undertones of banana and grape, delightful 



Durio graveolens

small yellowish-rind fruits with sharp spines, 
flesh ranges from yellow to bright red (!); 
pudding-like flesh has a very distinctive, different, 
alien but enjoyable flavor resembling burnt almonds 
blended with carrot juice! 



Durio kutajensis
small fruits with yellow rind and soft flexible small spines, flesh is bright orange, dry and almost chewy, 
with a complex agreeable flavor like a combination of 
orange, celery, and basil, with a hint of garlic




   Durio oblongus
very ornamental with yellow rind and bright red seed skins; the aril has a pleasant plum flavor but as it is only a very thin skin around the seed, 
this species is not considered edible

In early January 2003, I had the good fortune to travel to Sabah, Brunei, and Sarawak on the island of Borneo to experience and photograph the rare "other" durian species found there. I was guest of Durian Palace fan and fellow durian fanatic Douglas Furtek of Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, who is an American agroscientist working for the Malaysia Cocoa Board. (Thanks much to Doug for all his hospitality, logistical assistance, driving, fruit-buying,  miscellaneous duriana gifts, and all-around durian enthusiasm! )    

All Thai durians and most Malaysian durians are varieties and clones of only one species, Durio zibethinus, the common domestic durian, which has been bred and selected for centuries in southeast Asia for various desirable qualities. However, D. zibethinus has many other lesser-known siblings in its plant family — approximately twenty-seven Durio species exist, of which about seven produce edible fruit. And these edible seven all are native to durian's original native home on the planet — its "center of diversity"— on the island of Borneo. Many still grow wild in the rainforests of Sabah, Brunei, Sarawak and Kalimantan ... but only rarely anywhere else.

For a week Doug and I went on an epic durian adventure, in Sabah, Brunei, and Sarawak, from one end of Borneo to the other. We visited many produce markets and roadside vendors in small villages, towns, and cities, as well as agricultural research orchards and forest reserves, in quest of these rare and beautiful "other" wild durian species. We eventually did find fruits of five of these species, and they were a total delight! with surprising differences in form, appearance, color, fragrance, and flavor from common domestic durian (D. zibethinus). The complex rich unique flavor of durian known and loved by millions of people is in fact not the only durian flavor — these other species have completely different flavors equally or even more exotic and incredible than common durian! A full photographic story of this Borneo durian adventure will appear in time on Durian Palace; in the meantime here are some of the best digital photos (of many hundreds taken) processed so far.

                            —Shunyam Nirav

 


Durio testudinarium
The rare and famous durian species that bears its fruit low on the trunk, in the manner of jackfruit. Only small seedy fruits were happening in January so I did not get to taste one, but reportedly they are very strong-flavored and enjoyable only to the most enthusiastic durian-lovers.
 


three rare Durio species together
from left to right: 
D. kutajensis - D. graveolens - D. oxleyanus 
(Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, 10 January 2003)