Year of the Durian

Nonthaburi Durian Quest

4 Comments

 
Who would pay $300 USD for a durian? Rob and I wondered out loud as we
rode the water-taxi to Nonthaburi. Located an easy 45 minutes hop up the Chao Phraya River from Bangkok, it’s hard to believe that Thailand’s most renown, and most
expensive, durians are grown only 20 kilometers north of its biggest
city. 
Few people have tasted the famous Nonthaburi Ganyao, which sells for as much as 10,000 baht, the equivalent of $315 USD, per fruit. The cost isn’t the only deterrent. Nonthaburi’s durians, known colloquially as Durian Non, are few and far between, and to even get the chance to purchase one, you have to know someone.

The long stems of the Ganyao are wrapped in banana leaves

The orchards in Nonthaburi are some of Thailand’s oldest, many founded during the Atthaya period from 1350 to 1767. Old trees are a good thing – they tend to produce sweeter, fleshier fruits with smaller seeds and thinner rinds. During that time period, the kings loved durian so much that owners of durian trees were required by law to replace any durian trees that died. Thailand’s most well known varieties, including Monthong, Ganyao, and Chanee, were all developed in the Nonthaburi region, where pressure from the king inspired horticulturalists to breed fleshier and sweeter durian. These varieties have since spread to all corners of the kingdom, but Nonthaburi is still said to have the best durian in all of Thailand. If you can afford a taste.

Rob and I had no pretensions of tasting a Nonthaburi durian. Should we even find one not already claimed, $300 is a ludicrously expensive lunch. Yet demand is high and growing as Bangkok’s middle class grows wealthier and Nonthaburi durians become even more obscure. A series of floods beginning in 1942 (see the article on Suan La-Ong Fa Durian Orchard) wreaked serious havoc on the durian orchards. Durian trees are highly susceptible to root rot, and with each passing flood, the number of viable, fruiting trees decreased. Many farmers threw in the towel, so to speak. As happens all over the world, the struggling farmers sold their land to developers, who turned what were once thriving, green orchards into shopping malls, condos, and apartment complexes.
 

The flooding even affected our little durian-hunt up the river. For the last three years, the Central Plaza Ratthanatibet has hosted a two week long durian festival celebrating the Nonthaburi’s special durians. We arrived, hoping to steal a glance at what a $300 fruit looks like. Unfortunately this year’s festival was canceled due to flooding last November, which put a knock on the already dwindling supplies.

The Nonthaburi durian may as well be put on the endangered fruit list. In the future, the durian’s elite fanatics will have to buy their pricy fruit elsewhere. A possible second choice is Chanee from the island of Koh Chang, so prized that would-be buyers must select their fruit months before it will be mature.
While I was disappointed not to find Thailand’s most expensive durian and get the chance to ask someone why they buy it, we did have a pleasant day trip to Nonthaburi. I especially enjoyed seeing the city from the water, away from the traffic and exhaust of the city streets.

What’s the most you’ve ever paid for a durian? Was it worth it?

Comments

  2. Lindsay says

    We were game to try a packet, if we could find it! Too bad the flooding wiped it all out. But I think the really expensive Nonthaburi durian is Ganyao, which I don't really like anyway.

    Reply

  3. Mark Wiens says

    Wow, I haven't heard of that 10,000 THB durian, but that makes me curious – how much better could it be than a $10 durian? Perhaps it's just that slight superiority paired with the demand and lack of supply that makes it so expensive. I would love to purchase just a bite for 100 THB though!!!

    Reply

  4. Glenn says

    Hi – thought you may be interested in this news item (Bangkok Post) today, since you visited Nonthaburi and Chanthaburi
    Fruits of their labour
    Preservationists are working to revive durian orchards in Nonthaburi after last year's floods.
    Out of a total of 2,941 rai of orchards, just 43 rai survived the disaster, prompting local growers and authorities to rescue 16 indigenous varieties from flood-hit lands in Bang Yai, Bang Kruai and Muang districts and keep them at the Chanthaburi Horticultural Research Centre to prevent the extinction of the fruit.

    http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/economics/305129/fruits-of-their-labour

    Reply

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