12/02/2025
9 Iconic Durian Varieties in SEA!🧡😋
MALAYSIA 🇲🇾: Red Prawn
Red Prawn durian is sweet, creamy, and slightly bitter, with hints of berries and alcohol. Some say it has a fruity, custard-like flavor. It is seen as the #5 world’s most expensive durian at $30.
MALAYSIA 🇲🇾: Musang King
A Musang King Durian is known for its rich, creamy, buttery texture with a sweet taste that has a noticeable hint of bitterness, often described as a complex flavor profile with notes of tropical fruits and a slightly pungent aroma, considered less strong than other durian varieties; it's widely considered one of the best tasting durians due to its balanced sweetness and slight bitterness.
THAILAND 🇹🇭: Kanyao
Kanyao, primarily grown in the Nonthaburi region of Thailand. Meaning "long stalk" in Thai, the Kanyao is seen as the #1 world’s most expensive durian at $41.5K and most sought-after durian, boasting well-balanced flavours that combine sweetness and creaminess traditionally consumed fresh to savor the durian's texture, taste, and aroma.
THAILAND 🇹🇭: Kantharalak / Lava Durian
Lava Durian, primarily grown in the Sisaket region of Thailand, is known for its creamy, custardy texture, a potent aroma, and a rich, bold flavor considered distinct from other durian varieties due to its volcanic soil origins. It is seen as the #2 world’s most expensive durian at $4.2K.
THAILAND 🇹🇭: Monthong
A Monthong Durian is considered to have a mild aroma compared to other durian varieties, with a rich, sweet, and creamy texture, often described as tasting like a blend of caramel and vanilla, making it a good choice for first-time durian eaters due to its relatively mild flavor profile; it is considered one of the most popular durian varieties in Thailand, translating to "golden pillow" in Thai.
INDONESIA 🇮🇩: J-Queen
The J-Queen is a rare, pungent-smelling durian fruit from Indonesia that's known for its distinctive taste and texture. A unique taste described as a blend of "peanut butter" flavor, with some comparing it to a combination of peanuts and butter, due to its distinct creamy taste. It is seen as the #4 world’s most expensive durian at $855K.
INDONESIA 🇮🇩: Petruk
Petruk durians are a rare, aromatic, and creamy variety of durian fruit that are popular in Java. They are known for their teardrop shape, sharp spikes, and ivory-colored flesh.
VIETNAM 🇻🇳:Ri6
The most popular durian variety in Vietnam, Ri 6 is the variety found in Ho Chi Minh City and other cities. It has a distinctively bright yellow color. The flesh is thick and fibrous, with a strong egg-flavor.
PHILIPPINES 🇵🇭: Puyat
A Puyat durian is described as having a sweet, creamy texture with a slight hint of bitterness, considered one of the most accessible durian varieties in the Philippines, known for its thick flesh and large pear-like shape; when properly ripened, the bitterness is subtle and quickly disappears in the mouth.