Recipe: How to Make Durian Chips

Durian chips are a popular snack in Thailand, so popular that even the 7-11’s stock them on the same shelves as Lay’s Potato Chips (squid flavor, of course).

The majority of durian chips are not produced in large factories, but in  small corner shops of durian markets and family homes. They are considered an OTOP product, meaning when you buy durian chips you are supporting a local village community.

The chips are made from underripe durian, durian so hard and waxy it’s got more in common with jicama than vanilla pudding.

This crispy vegetable-like fruit is thinly sliced and then deep fried in vegetable oil, usually spiced with salt and turmeric to improve teh color.

All tourists taking the train from Bangkok to Chang Mai pass through the province of Uttaradit, probably while they’re sleeping. It’s a laid back region with little to offer the casual tourist other than beautiful, rolling mountains, some peace and quiet, and some famous durian.

While visiting the Laplae Durian Festival in Uttaradit, I was taken to visit a durian chip manufacturing shop at the home of Suda Wan Suebjohn. On her wide, outdoor patio, she showed me how she slivers the hunks of hard durian flesh and then deep fries them in a giant wok of glimmering, simmering yellow oil.

She worked quickly, whipping the pieces of durian across a mandolin grater so fast I feared for the safety of her fingers. Suda has to work fast to make enough chips to meet the demand. She said that the day before she and her husband had made 500 kg of durian into chips! That is a lot of durian chips.

After allowing the chips to drain on mounds of paper towels, she and her husband package the chips into these very unique, durian-shaped boxes! I thought the packaging alone was so cool that I bought two to send home to my family’s annual reunion. This was the first time my aunts, uncles, and cousins had tasted the durian.

They were a hit! Because the chips are made of immature fruit, they lack the strong odor and flavor that is sometimes repugnant to those not yet in love with durian. Instead, they are similar in flavor and texture to a potato chip, only sweeter. Everyone in my family was surprised, and my grandmother even wanted to know where she could buy them.

I had mixed feelings about bringing my family fried chips, as it’s healthier and (in my opinion) more delicious just to eat the whole, perfectly ripe fruit. I’m pretty health conscious. But when I placed my durian packages next to the bowls of Ruffles and Doritos, I realized that for people who already eat chips regularly, durian chips are a tasty, interesting alternative to the run-of-the-mill chip and a great excuse to try something new!

If you want to try durian chips but don’t have access to immature durian (or can’t stand the insidious crackle of boiling oil), you can order them from on Amazon or at Grocery Thai.

Otherwise, follow the recipe below and enjoy!

Unripe durian

Ingredients:
Recipe from Joy’s Thai Kitchen

• 2 lb unripe durian (Sliced)
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups vegetable oil