Southern Vietnam durian the star of delicious dishes

For many, durian is considered the king of fruits, a specialty of Vietnam renowned for its rich source of vitamins, its attractive fragrance, and sweet taste.

Chef Pham Tuan Hai said that, as a durian lover, apart from enjoying it year round, he also uses it as an aromatic ingredient to cook many dishes with such as grilled durian, sticky rice durian, ice-cream durian, porridge, crepes, and more.

Hai also has recipes for grilled durian, durian juice and sugar-cane durian juice.

Durian sticky rice is so popular that most housewives in southern provinces know how to cook it for their families or to sell it in the markets or on the street, said Hai.

Ingredients include a kilo of sticky rice, half a kilo of well-kneaded durian, coconut juice, sugar, and salt. The taste of the dish will depend both on the skill of the cook and the selection of the fruit, so select barely ripe durian, quality sticky rice, and fragrant yellow sugar cane.

There are two sorts of sticky rice: mung bean coated sticky rice (locally known as xoi vo) and green bean mixed with sticky rice (xoi dau xanh).

It’s hard to describe how tasty and buttery the durian can be, a melt in the mouth flavor that only an experienced durian lover can imagine, said Hai.

Unlike other cooks, Vu Thi Ha, a seller in Ho Chi Minh City, does not knead the durian but uses fresh durian as a separate topping, to be eaten with sticky rice and coconut juice.

“By doing it this way, many of my diners are very pleased. They say they can reduce or increase one of these ingredients according to their own preferences,” Ha said.

Durian sugarcane juice is a special favorite in the city, and the deep sweet juice mixed with the buttery fat of durian is a perfect option on a hot day.

It’s easy to make the juice. Grind the durian flesh and just add the sugarcane juice. Top it with coconut threads and you have the ideal refreshment, said Dang Thu Lan.

Lan said this specialty is available in many southern localities, including Cu Chi district in HCMC, and Long Khanh town in Dong Nai province.

The foodie added that traders can adapt the drink to how the guests prefer the juice, with more or less ground durian in the sugarcane juice. He added that the flavor of durian mixed with milk and the sweet, cool sugarcane juice is not just refreshing because its fragrance lingers long on the palette, said Lan.

Ryan Wester from Australia, who works at a university in Vietnam, said at first he was put off by the smell of durian. “I used to leave the building or felt nauseous when my Vietnamese colleagues happily enjoyed the fruit.

“Then one day, a colleague encouraged me to try some. She was so surprised that I could eat it, and since then, I've been an addict."

Apart from eating the fruit fresh, Ryan also likes durian porridge which is cooked with tapioca, minced durian, and coconut juice, all mixed with steamed sticky rice.

“I enjoy the durian's fragrant flavor, mixed with sticky rice and sometimes durian flesh in the porridge. It explodes with a lovely strong flavor in my mouth. It’s a very good dessert,” said Ryan.

Traditional medicine researchers also believe that durian can clean the blood system, reduce high cholesterol, and improve bone density.