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.
Sau Rieng Ri 6
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.
Sau Rieng 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.
Sau Rieng Bi
Found in the Mekong Delta
Sau Rieng Cuon 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)
This is the “kampung” of Vietnamese durian. 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.
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.
Effendy Lim says
We are interested of sau Rieng R16 especially in frozen type.
If any exporter we are interested
What is the price in fresh one in Vietnam ?
dai nguyen says
Hi Lidsay,
Let me help to add accent marks for some Vietnamese words:
Chin Hoa = Chín Hóa
Cho Lak = Chợ Lách
Sau Rieng Bi = Sầu Riêng Bí (pumpkin durian)
Sau Rieng Cuon Bo Co’m Sa’u = Sầu Riêng Chuồng Bò Cơm Sữa
Sau Rieng Hat Lep Tieng Giang = Sầu Riêng Hạt Lép Tiền Giang
Tieng Giang = Tiền Giang
Sau Rieng Kho Qua Xanh = Sầu Riêng Khổ Qua Xanh (green bitter melon durian)
Regards,
Dai
[email protected] says
awesome! thanks so much.
hurricanemax says
thank you for sharing…and I am planning to coincide future trip to a Sau Rieng R6 season…any idea when that is? Thanks.
Anonymous says
thank you mister for your writing in your blog,i want your permitt to share your photo or your blog coz i 'm duran lover [email protected]