Simon spotted the piles of bright red Durio dulcis before we’d even turned off the main road running from Limbang, Sarawak to the border with Brunei. They were just sitting by the road in piles of four next to all the other durians — the orange-fleshed Durio graveolens and waxy yellow Durio kutejensis and the […]
Epic Fruit Haul at Serian Market | Sarawak, Malaysia
The first time I went to the large, fruit-heavy Serian Market near Kuching, Sarawak it was a complete accident. I did not know the Serian Market existed. It was 2012, at the end of my first trip to Southeast Asia. We were staying in Kuching, and found out a Rafflesia was in bloom down in […]
The 10 Best Durian of 2017 – My Year in Review
When I tell you where I ate my 10 best durians of the year, I’m telling you a story about me. “Best durian” are deeply personal. They’re where I was and what I was doing and what was important to me when I ate them. This post, The 10 Best Durian of 2017 is essentially […]
Thomas’s Sarawak Durian Farm | Serian, Malaysia
In 2011, I sat in a tiny wooden room in Costa Rica waiting with baited breath as the phone rang and rang somewhere in a place called Sarawak. Thomas Teo picked up the phone. Back then, I didn’t understand that while Sarawak is the land of Durian with a capital D, a Sarawak durian farm that […]
A Guide To 8 Kuching Markets And Fruit in Sarawak Malaysia
I ended up falling in love with Kuching. I didn’t mean to — in fact, I told myself not to, because I knew I couldn’t stay. But the more I spent time in this cat-obsessed city along a meandering river, the more I loved it’s narrow quirky lanes, murals, funny little shops, Chinese-fusion cuisine, random […]
Cooking Wild Durian, Buah Pakan, at the Saratok Market, Sarawak
The sun was still level with mist over the river when we wandered down to the Saratok Market. It was about 7 a.m, but while the town and me were still half-asleep, everyone at the market had apparently been drinking cham coffee-tea for hours. I was at a point with Sarawak’s morning markets where I’d […]
Durian at Jakar Sarawak Rest Stop
“Let’s make it a quick stop,” I said. If I had a watch, I’d have looked at it. But I needn’t have said it. Jakar Sarawak is small. Really small. From the highway, it looks like this: To be brutal, Jakar looks slummy. It’s a row of tin roofs and beach umbrellas crammed up against a […]
Sibu Market – Malaysia’s Largest Fruit and Vegetable Market
“Let’s meet at 10:30 at the Sibu Market,” his text said. I know a coffee date is the normal way to catch up with friends, but when your friends are all durian and fruit fanatics, the biggest outdoor market in all of Malaysia is really the only place that made sense for #teamdurian to meet […]
Where to go running to a Sibu Durian Orchard
Seven mile of running will make you hungry, especially when the run ends along roads lined with durian trees. As we stretched by the car, we knew it was time for #teamdurian to refuel at a Sibu durian orchard. Our first morning in Sibu, I ran from our hotel along the riverfront, near the Central […]
Kanowit Weekend Market and Longhouse Homestay
I hesitated before writing down the Kanowit Weekend Market on my durian hunting itinerary. I was thinking about the 80-20 rule. It’s supposed to be an efficiency hack, but it’s also my durian hunting philosophy. If I know something about where I’m going 20% of the time, I’m probably going to find something interesting. Probably. I […]
Orange and Yellow Wild Durians at Saratok Rest Stop, Sarawak
I admit I kind of smirked when I saw the first bus trundle past. I was sitting with friends at a table in the covered picnicking area at the Saratok Rest Stop. The curb was scattered with tidy clumps of exotic durian species, green spiny Durio graveolens and flower-shaped Durio kutejensis, as well as wild […]
Batu Niah Caves and Durian
The search for wild jungle durians is on. So far we’ve found three: durio graveolens, durio oxelyanus, and durio kutejensis. I want more. In fact, I have my heart set on finding all nine edible durian species. Our durian contact in Brunei, Mr. Jumat, thought that we could find a few more of […]
