I just did my Christmas shopping yesterday. I know, I know, I’m a bit behind. In my defense, I’m having a hard time remembering that it’s Christmas here in Australia. It’s hot here, and while they did put up a 30-foot tall plastic Christmas tree at the local park, they only started playing Christmas music in the grocery stores two weeks ago. To my American ears, that means there’s still like, 6 weeks of Jingle Bell Rock to survive before I have to actually start shopping. If you’ve been running late on your Christmas shopping for the durian lovers in your life, here are some fun gift ideas.
Updated December, 2023
1. Freeze Dried Durian
2. Durian Pride T-shirt
Find your tribe! One of the best ways to find other durian lovers is to advertise loud and clear that you are one. Everyone who loves durian will definitely be attracted to you. Everyone who loves durian will need to comment on your t-shirt, as will all those sucky durian haters you should avoid. You’ll immediately know who is who, whether your standing at the grocery market or at the beach.
We use this method all the time to find
3. Love Durian Waterbottle
Eco-friendly, chic and incredibly cute. It’s a hedgehog that loves durian. You can’t really see the design that well from the picture, but trust me, it’s really cute. As a girl who loves durian, I love this.
4. Durian Jigsaw Puzzles
When I was young, my family used to do
jigsaw puzzles together after dinner. Yes, nerd runs in the family. But I
still love my memories of staying home sick from school and hanging out
with my mom trying to piece together Mickey’s ears or the tail of a
whale.
The durian puzzle above would make a great gift
for the junior durian lovers in your life, while this one is more
advanced and actually looks quite difficult. So many thorns!
5. Durian Neck Tie
Okay so it’s the same basic design as the one above, but how cool is it? It’s perfect for the durian-loving professional, or anybody else who needs to wear a tie. Like my Dad.
6. Sophisticated Durian Notebook
As a writer/compulsive jotter, I use a lot of notebooks. I like my notebook’s design to have a little personality. This one caught my eye. It’s simple, aesthetically pleasing, and to the point (pun intended).
7. Durian book
For the intellectual, the gardener, or the super
obsessive, this book has all the details you need for successfully
growing durian, as well as some fun facts. At over 180 pages, it ranks second
only to that mighty durian tome “Durio: A Bibliographic Review (which, by the way, is free).
8. Sad Durian Design
This is my favorite of the durian designs I’ve found. It’s so cute and random. Poor durian, it’s not your fault you’re too prickly to hug. I would want the notebook (I like notebooks!) but it makes a great ironic t-shirt for that prickly person in your family, or even better, a pillow.
9. Fresh or Frozen Durian
The ultimate gift, nothing beats just plain, super yummy durian on any day – even Christmas !
If you’re in Singapore, you can have fresh durian delivered by Durian Garden, a new durian-delivery service for the truly addicted.
Outside of Asia, durian is harder to find, which makes the gift that much more valuable. In the UK you can sometimes order fresh durian from Authentic Thai Supermarket, while Orkos supplies durian to the rest of Europe. Other than those two online suppliers, your best bet is local Asian grocery stores or the nearest Chinatown. And if you don’t even have access to an Asian grocer, you can still get your loved one some freeze-dried durian.
Edit: My book is now available!
10. The Durian Tourist’s Guide To Thailand
This guidebook to the orchards and markets of Thailand are for the ultimate durian lovers – the ones who travel to taste the best and seek out new varieties and flavor experiences.
Read more about the book here.
Leave a Reply