Vietnam Durian Varieties

This post was originally written in 2012 and has been updated.

Vietnam has between 20 and 30 native varieties, most of them unnamed. There’s some debate whether durian first arrived from Thailand, Malaysia, or even the Philippines but there seems to be a mix of large-spiked Thai varieties and small-spiked Malaysian. Most varieties are very mild and taste more like vanilla than durian, although I thought the wild highlands durian were some of the best durians I have ever tasted, comparable to those I enjoyed in Penang.

Here are a few of the more popular durian varieties in Vietnam.

Sầu Hát

A Sầu Hát is simply any un-named variety grown from seed, the Vietnamese equivalent of a kampung in Malaysia or a Baan in Thailand or a Native in the Philippines.

These vary a lot due, since each tree is a genetically unique individual, but they are usually sold tree-ripened and are considerably cheaper than actual varieties.

Ri6

The most popular durian variety in Vietnam, Ri 6 is the variety found in Ho Chi Minh City and other cities. It has a distinctively bright yellow color, similar to the intense coloration of a Musang King durian in Malaysia. The flesh is thick and fibrous, with a strong egg-flavor that reminds me of many Thai varieties.

Chin Hoa

This durian is named after the farmer who discovered it 30 years ago, Mr. Van Hoa from Cho Lak. It’s large and very round, like a pumpkin, with a huge amount of flesh. I was not impressed by the one we tried, but I think it was overripe.

Bi

Found in the Mekong Delta

Chuong Bo Co’m Sa’u

Cow House Milk Meat)

This durian tastes like whipped cream. It would be great for those new to durian or who don’t like durian, as it has almost no durian flavor and tastes a lot like sweetened milk or cream. Found in the Mekong Delta.

Sau Rieng Hat Lep Tieng Giang 

(Small seed durian from Tieng Giang province)

This is a very fleshy durian, as indicated by its name: the small seed. There are numerous “small seed” durians in Vietnam, each one named after the province of its origin. We found this one in the Tieng Giang province of the Mekong Delta.

Sau Rieng Kho Qua Xanh

((Green Vegetable) It has large seeds, small flesh, but a strong flavor and smell. It’s the cheapest durian and sells for as low as 15,000 dong/kilo. Most people told me this wasn’t a good one, but it was actually my favorite durian in Vietnam in 2012.

Dona

The Dona durian is actually a Thai Monthong grown on a Vietnamese rootstock. It’s registered under the company Dona Techno. Company officials believe it to be slightly sweeter than Monthong grown in Thailand. 

For more information about when and where to eat durian in Vietnam, see our Guide to Durian in Vietnam.

Vietnam Durian Hunting Map