“Don’t worry,” my friend George said, “your parents will definitely get the chance to taste some Malaysian durian.”
I acted like the durian tasting was for my parents, but I knew that it was most important to me. This was my chance to share with my Mom and Dad what I find so special about durian, and why I keep coming back to this country instead of going home.
This is my fifth summer split between Thailand and Malaysia, and at this point durian is a defining character of my adult life. I eat durian more days of the year than not. When I’m not eating durian, I’m reading about it, or writing about it, or pestering my favorite Youtubers to taste it (I gave a Musang King to Hank Green).
If you were my parent, this obsession was and probably still is at best a little bit strange and at worst worrying.
After all, I’ve pursued durian rather than a career.
If my parents ever worried about my future, in addition to my immediate safety, they didn’t vocalize it. If I were to define their parenting style, I would quote Thumper from that semi-ancient Disney movie, Bambi.
“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothin’ at all.”
They’ve always let me make my own decisions and mistakes without a peep, from quitting journalism school to planning my wedding at 19 to coming to Southeast Asia to spend a year (and then years) eating durian.
When I came home and brought durian into the house, they kept the complaints to an impressive minimum.
But I’m an eldest child. I crave parental approval. And tacit tolerance is not the same thing.
I just really wanted them to like durian, and to like Malaysia, and to understand why I come back again and again.
We spent our durian tasting day with George, whose durian orchard is the last stop on the Malaysia Durian Appreciation Tour. His durians won’t drop until July, so we went to a nearby durian stall.
The stall is along Highway 68, an older road running parallel to the main freeway artery (E8) that heads east from Kuala Lumpur. When we arrived it was mid-day, the sky whitewashed with heat, and the road deserted.
The durians were piled on a rough table under a square blue umbrella, their stems wrapped in banana leaves to fend off the dehydration that would cause them to rupture and split prematurely.
There weren’t very many of them, because it was March and still technically the off-season, but they looked good and fresh.
When the vendor, Mr. Loo, cracked one open, it was a perfectly plump pale amber, like caramelized cream, with the D24’s typical wide crack between the dual pods. I leaned in with my camera and started excitedly taking pictures. I thought I saw Mom and Dad look at each other.
After reading my blog for years, they were finally behind the scenes in Malaysia. What were they thinking?
D24
I invited them to take a piece. This was the moment.
I tried to see it all through their eyes. The heat. The heavy buzz of cicadas. The unintelligible Chinese conversation that George was having with Mr. Loo. The weathered red folding table, the top heavily nicked and scratched from thorns.
And the alien-shaped fruit sitting in front of them, it’s gooey interior emitting a smell that was ambrosial to me, but who knows what to them.
Dad took the first piece. I guess he was feeling confident, since the night before he actually chose durian ice cream for his dessert at Pasar Seni, and then liked it.
“This one is definitely garlicky,” he commented.
“It just tastes like durian to me,” Mom countered. She should know. Mom doesn’t like garlic.
In fact, at one point in my childhood Dad tried to lower either his cholesterol or his blood pressure (the latter would be ironic) by eating so much garlic he began to smell like it. Then one morning I woke up and Dad was sleeping on the couch, and that was the end of the garlic cure.
But I could see what Dad was talking about. D24 does have an edge to it, a slight oily heat and lingering sulfur. I wouldn’t call it garlic exactly, but slightly savory in a way that you can taste in the back of your mouth.
Dad said he preferred the one we had in Thailand. “What was that called again?”
Ganyao.
But we had yet to taste everybody’s favorite Malaysian durian — the famous Musang King.
Musang King
The Musang King was small, and since George ordered it I was a little afraid to ask how much it cost. This was out-of-season Musang King, after all.
But after the D24, I really wanted to see how my parents would compare the two durians.
“This one is sweeter,” Dad said. “It doesn’t have that garlicky thing.”
It was sweeter than the D24, and I would bet it had a higher sugar content. At the same time, it had a little touch of bitter, the way milk chocolate is sweet with a touch of that earthy bitter cocoa.
“This one has a little of the bitter taste going on,” I told my Dad.
He tasted it again, and then his face lit up. “Oh yeah! I can taste that.”
“It still just tastes like durian to me,” my mom said. “I’m still surprised that I kind of like it.”
When the durian was gone, we stood up and washed our hands at the small sink.
Later, my mom commented on how normal it all felt – just driving down the highway and stopping at a small roadside stand like we were picking up strawberries or stopping for ice cream. She said it was cool to be in a place where stopping for durian was normal, like she got to be part of the culture here.
That’s one of the things I like about durian too.
I’m not sure my parents will ever totally get my infatuation, or the way I don’t mind the heat or the crazy driving tactics. But it’s okay.
They made the effort to come here and eat durian with me. I think I have parental approval.

All Year Bentong Durian Stalls
Durian Loo
Tel: (+6)012-967-1511
There are a few small durian stalls here at the entrance to the Freeway Ramp. During the season they have more fruit, and sometimes jackfruit too. It’s a good spot to check if you are looking for out-of-season durians.
Hon Chan says
Heading to KL from Cherating. Love your blog! Any recommendations for where we should stop?
Many thanks!
The Chans
Paw zen says
Enjoy reading your post. Thank you
Sally says
Hi Lindsay, this is a nice blog to read for updated info on durian lover, as my friend have own durians farm in Malaysia and start doing export market to China. If there is any chance or who are interested please feel free to contact me.
[email protected] says
Hi Sally,
Did you know that is my Mom’s name? What a coincidence! If you want to meet up in Malaysia, just send me an email and we’ll see if it’s possible.
Huai Bin says
I love your writing style Lindsay. 🙂
Your parents seem like really awesome people too. I’ll like to think I’m as equally open and supportive with the kids but I wouldn’t really know until they’re older. It’s definitely something to endeavour to.
Hey, I think garlic was a thing back in the days. My dad used to consume a lot of garlic (both in cooking and as nutritional supplements – powder in capsules) for the same reasons too. I think it was marketed as such or at least, there were some research to suggest it would help with both cholesterol and blood pressure so the vitamin industry started producing garlic capsules. I think they’re still around, at least as of last year, and now they’re odor free too.
I’ve personally never noticed a garlicky taste to D24 though. That’s an interesting taste observation from your dad. I wonder if it’s from one of the volatile garlic compounds that make it smell e.g. one of the sulfides?
There’s one stall in Kota Damansara towards Shah Alam which I usually go to when I want durians all year round but they’re not really good or cheap. It’s just close and convenient since it’s just 5 minutes away and on the way back home.
[email protected] says
Hi Huai Bin,
I’ll have to watch for that garlicky taste in D24 too. It might just be a stronger flavor than he is used to. Personally I find the flavor of D24 quite a bit stronger than Musang King too, which can be pretty sweet and mild. I bet it is one of the sulfides.
Maybe when I come to KL we can go to the Kota Damansara Stall? That would be awesome, because I’ve never been!
Carol says
Thank you for sharing. I am going to Kuala Lumpur end of May, and hoping so much there are durians around. Wish me luck.. ?
[email protected] says
Luck wished 🙂 Happy hunting! You should be able to score.
Ahmad Zamri says
Nice T-Shirt, “Oh My Pod” thumb up…
[email protected] says
Thank you 🙂
Tam says
Is off season n I would say both Durian looks well like normal Durian. Well I have a Durian farm at Bentong too. Come visit us at our Organic Durian farm coming season n tell us what u think of our Durian.
[email protected] says
Hi Tam,
I’d love to come see your Organic farm! I’m always thrilled to find a farm that is investing in the ecological health and good durians 🙂
Cheong Sze Hoong Zac says
WOW! I’ve been reading your blog the entire morning (and afternoon!)
Just discovered this site , thanks to a share on Facebook and I love your approach to both this King of Fruits and your travels.
There’s more to read but I’ve gotta leave it till probably tomorrow and I’ve signed up for your ‘newsletter’ and now contemplating to joining one of your Durian Tour too.
And its just nice to read of your parents’ approval for this fruit. I am sure they enjoyed their stay here in Malaysia.
[email protected] says
Hi Cheong,
Thank you! I’m glad you found me and this small yet global community of durian addicts. It would be fun if you came on a trip! Just let me know if you have any questions.
I think Mom and Dad had a great time 🙂
Philip Soon says
What loving folks your parents are:- ))
But we all know that we are not all fated to love durians in the way that we do. I think that your folks may be classified as tolerant spectators ;- )
I, myself have never been partial to the D24…….. Musang King, thats something else :- ))
Cheers,
Philip
[email protected] says
Hi Philip,
It really was a gift to have them visit, and they are slowly coming around to durian. Dad did choose to get durian ice cream one night, of his own free will and no prodding on my part! I thought it was really interesting that they didn’t like the D24 as much as the Musang King, since I’ve noticed Westerners are often directed to D24 before the King and yet my best friend also hated durian until she tried Musang King. Maybe Musang King is the perfect “beginners” durian!