Year of the Durian

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Year of the Durian

Year of the Durian We're Lindsay & Richard, a durian-obsessed couple exploring the world through all things Durian.

Mission

Year of the Durian is a blog that combines a pure carnal love of eating durian and exploring new cultures with an awareness of environmental issues created by large-scale industrial orcharding and deforestation. Through travel tales, photos, and interviews with durian farmers and enthusiasts around the world, we aim to inspire awareness and appreciation for the diversity of durian types as well as the deep bond that humans cultivate with fruit.

07/02/2025

💙💜💖$50 gift card to the lucky durian lover who finds the Heart-Shaped D78 in their box this week!

This was such an unusual durian to find that we couldn’t help but keep it separate and save it for a special date 💕💕

D78 is one of the strongest and most Tekka-like of our durians this season. If you love the very rich, custardy texture and herbal bitterness of Tekka, just combine that with a shot of menthol and you get the special flavors of a good quality D78. This durian is so dang delicious 😋😋 if you’re a hardcore durian lover.

‼️ it’s an aromatic one, warn your neighbors if you share air vents 🤣🤣

📦📦 Order D78 this week for a chance to find the heart-shaped one in your box 💙💙 This durian ships Monday, February 10 so you’ll have it in time for Valentine’s Day!! 💕💖

28/01/2025

Hawaii Fruit Photo Dump! Wrapping up our 3 weeks on 3 islands in Hawaii — Maui, Big Island and Oahu — we just want a say a big thank you and mahalo 🙏 to everyone who hosted us, treated us to farm fruits and tours, and helped us LEARN!

We were just slightly early for durian season but saw plenty on trees and even got to taste some locally grown durians 🙂🙏🙏

Just a few highlights shown here:
🌳Durian growing in Maui
🌳Sitebel Durian included in our fruit tasting at Josanna’s Organics in Pahoa, Big Island
🌳Durian party with who sells trees in Big Island
🌳Clouds forming in the Haleakala crater
🌳Admiring the Hawaii Silversword with .reeve
🌳 Popo’ulu bananas
🌳 Learning about organic banana growing from the master
🌳 Tasting different breadfruit varieties
🌳My first time tasting
🌳My first time tasting the infamous Cheena jackfruit hybrid much thanks to
🌳An incredible cacao farm tour with
🌳 KE258 variety from Waialua Oahu
🌳 Seeing our event posters up, always so exciting 🤩🌳Giving out Durian Samples
🌳Amazing Hawaiian coffee cupping and durian tasting combo with
🌳 Cherub let us develop our own special smoothie for — next time you’re there ask for the YOTD special!!

The Hawaiian islands are an incredible melting pot of agriculture, cool rare fruits, applied permaculture and restorative farming, a unique local culture, and a natural beauty that is breathtaking. We are so blessed to have the opportunity to travel there 🙂 thank you for having us

And just an idea — maybe we can have an durian tasting event in Kauai next year? we want to visit 😜

20/12/2024

For our *Final* durian tasting event in this series, we are headed to Oahu, Hawaii!! Come and join us for a really delicious evening 😋😋

When: Saturday, January 18 at 4pm
Where: , Waialua Oahu
Tickets: Pre-paid only. Sign up at https://www.yearofthedurian.com/product/usa-event-a-taste-of-malaysia-oahu

👉 This is our final event in the Tasting series before we return to SE Asia 🥳
So far all our durian tasting events have sold out within a few days of announcing them — so make sure to get your tickets! Space iMohala Farmswe Nat Bble toHawaii Banana Sourceign-ups ☺️

Thanks to , and for hosting!!! Can’t wait to see you all!!! 🤩🤩

*What’s Included*
✨ A led tasting experience and presentation by Lindsay leading you through 3 regions of Malaysia *10 varieties* of durian!! Including popular Malaysian popular varieties — AND wild durian species D. graveolens, kutejensis and lowianus.
✨ Dabai, Cempedak, Petai beans, and Garcinia atroviridis (Asam Gelugor)
✨A vegan plant-focused sampler plate with local recipes utilizing these fruits and special ingredients brought from Malaysia just for these events!!
✨ Tempoyak! This is a delicious fermented durian paste we can’t wait to share 🤤
✨Q&A! Ask us anything ☺️☺️

See you in Oahu! 🤩

07/12/2024

Hey Durian Lovers!!! We are bringing the D to FOUR locations for epic tasting experiences! So excited to share durian and meet you in real life 😃

Starting with Maui!!
When: Sunday, Jan 5 at 4pm
Where: Okoa Farms Market in Makawao
Tickets: Pre-paid only. Get your ticket at the link below:
https://www.yearofthedurian.com/product/a-taste-of-penang-durian-connoisseur-cuisine-event-maui

This event is smaller than some of our others and number of tickets is limited. Make sure to sign up ASAP if you would like to join!!

What’s included:
⭐️A led tasting of 9 varieties of durians local to Penang Island ordered chronologically as they appear in the development of durian farming and the complex history of this island.
⭐️Cempedak and other fruits
⭐️A cooked sampler showcasing a few Baba Nyonya recipes from Penang Island that highlights special ingredients brought from Penang just for this event. Ingredients include Daun Kadok leaves, turmeric leaves, petai (stinky bean), & nutmeg.
⭐️A virtual tour and presentation of the island from Lindsay & Richard, your professional durian enthusiasts, and how to travel here for the best-ever durian experience.
⭐️Q&A and general meet-and-greet

Other event dates n schedule:
📍Los Angeles - Dec 28
📍Big Island - Jan 12
📍Oahu - Jan 18
Announcements coming soon or sign up on our website ☺️

See you soon!! 💜

04/12/2024

Mark asked for a durian farm in the mountains so we took him to one of the highest farms on the island! At over 700 feet elevation Soon Huat has one of the best views as well as awesome durians 💜 It was a great durian day with Migrationology

29/11/2024

$12-off one Black Thorn today only ☺️ We’ve noticed that Black Thorn is consistently a favorite durian on our website and also on our tours — but it’s so expensive!

So today on *Black Thorn Friday* 🤪💜 we’re giving everyone the chance to get Black Thorn at a discount, whether you’ve been waiting for a chance to try it first time or it’s already your favorite!

This super discount is limited to one packet of 400g Black Thorn per person 💜

26/11/2024

We finally managed to upload a 🔻YouTube video with Eric & Kim from about their farm tours and bringing their durian to the USA 🇺🇸 ! I am so pleased we pulled off the project and their durian is now available for sale on our website☺️☺️

Our YouTube channel is Year of the Durian and you can just click this link to watch the video:
https://youtu.be/TiFmdDDfa6A?si=pN1vEKkgpjZfI0Oe

Thank you (in advance 😆) for watching and supporting a family-run no-chemical-at-all farm in Penang!! 💜

17/11/2024

9 New Durians just arrived all the way from Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia!! 🥳🥳

omg we now have 25 varieties of durians on our webshop 😱😵 even for us that’s getting a little bit cray-cray 🤪🤪 we clearly have no self control 🫣😂

But that’s because these durians are EPIC!!!

Head to www.yearofthedurian.com/shop to place an order and don’t forget to tell us which variety is your favorite!

✈️📦 yes, we do ship to Canada and most countries in the EU

A lot of you wrote to us that you loved the floral gentle flavors in the Penang durians, but some of you wrote that that you missed that alcoholic intense punch 🤛 of the durians from central Peninsular Malaysia, which are also thicker, denser, and more fleshy! Well here they are! These are so super satisfying 🤤🤤

Head to www.yearofthedurian.com/shop to place an order and don’t forget to tell us which variety is your favorite!

You can also find all our durians at in Maui. Contact to place an order for pick up in Hilo 🤙

10/11/2024

Hey Durian Lovers we are bringing the D to Fort Myers, Florida!!!

When: Saturday, December 14 at 4pm
Where: Heart of Palm Ranch and Eco Farm (location details will be emailed to you when you sign up)
Tickets: Pre-paid only. Sign up on our website: https://www.yearofthedurian.com/product/fruit-event-a-taste-of-malaysia

These events tend to sell out really fast so make sure to get your tickets ASAP 🤩🤩

Thanks to for hosting this Durian Extravaganza!!

*What’s included:*
🤩 A presentation by Lindsay leading you through 3 Regions of Malaysia and *10 Varieties* of durians, including all the Malaysian popular ones like Musang King, Black Thorn, Red Prawn, IOI Johor Mas AND 4 species of wild durians - D graveolens, D oxleyanus, D kutejensis, D lowianus!
🤩 Cempedaks, Jackfruits, and other fruits!!
🤩A vegan sampler plate with local recipes utilizing these fruits and special ingredients from Malaysia we brought just for these events
🤩 For the first time ever — introducing Tempoyak!! (Fermented durian paste)
🤩 We will try to answer ALL your burning questions about durians, other fruits, and traveling in Malaysia ☺️

See you in Fort Myers! 💜

07/11/2024

We reviewed the new durian store in San Francisco Bay Area! Is this the first durian-only shop in the USA? 😱‼️It’s about time!

Liu Shang Pin in Richmond has only been open a month but I know all my friends in the SF Area are talking about it 😂😂 the shop currently sells 6 varieties of whole frozen durian from Malaysia, and based on the varieties it seems like they are sourcing mostly from Johor State in South Malaysia.

On our last day in San Francisco after the Durian Tasting at , we stopped by the Liu Shang Pin Shop in Richmond, East Bay to snag a durian to bring home to the ‘rents in Oregon.

Find out what we bought and what we durian snobs thought of the whole experience 🤓 at the link:
https://www.yearofthedurian.com/2024/11/the-new-richmond-durian-shop-liu-shang-pin.html

28/10/2024

Super fun meet up and fruit tasting with Steven Murray's Rare Fruit at the Santa Monica Farmers Market!!

Steven grows over 3,000 species of fruits and has traveled to waaaaay more countries than we have in pursuit of fruits. He sells a selection of them at the farmers market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. So we made sure to time our layover at LAX with the market dates!!

These were totally new to me:
- Che Berries
- Akebia
- Kei Apple
- Beauty berries

He also saved us 1 last fig of the season, which will probably be the only fig we get to taste in 2024. Sooo goood!

The Santa Monica Farmers Market was just epic in general, we spent a good 2 hours looking at all the fruits and produce and came back to the hotel with a big haul of deliciousness 😋

Thanks again Steven Murray! ☺️🙏

26/10/2024

🎃💀 Orange and Black Halloween Sale! Get 10% off on everything that is orange or black this week only, the Halloween Special page is here: https://www.yearofthedurian.com/product/discount-durian

😈 Happy Treating!

20/10/2024

See you in San Francisco 😜 it's going to be soooo yummy!! 🤤

When: Saturday, November 2 @ 12:00pm
Where: Damansara 1781 Church St, SF
Tickets available here: https://www.yearofthedurian.com/product/a-taste-of-durian-fruits-cuisine-event-san-francisco
What’s included:
✨ A -led tasting of 8 varieties of durians endemic to Penang Island ordered chronologically as they appear in the development of durian farming and the complex history of this island.
✨ Cempedak and other fruits
✨ A cooked lunch showcasing the special Baba Nyonya cuisine of Penang Island that highlights special ingredients brought from Penang just for this event. Ingredients include Daun Kadok leaves, Turmeric Leaves, petai (stinky bean), nutmeg, cempedak fruit prepared as a dessert and more (surprises TBA!) by Damansara Co.
✨A virtual tour and presentation of the island from Lindsay & Richard, your professional durian enthusiasts, and how to travel here for the best-ever durian experience.
✨ Q&A and general meet-and-greet

Comment below with questions :)

04/10/2024

It’s ready!! 🥳🎉 Durian from the latest season in Penang, Malaysia has arrived to the USA 🇺🇸 and is ready for you to try it! We have **11** types of durian this time around, each with a unique flavor and texture.

Head to 👉 www.yearofthedurian.com/shop to place an order and don’t forget to tell us which one is your favorite!! 😋😍

You can also find all our durians at in Maui or in Hilo, Big Island

28/08/2024

Thanks Stephen for taking time to chat over just a “little” durians 😆 wow what a feast! Featured here:
- a very special “Red Flower” durian with a beautiful dark orange color 😮
- D13
- “Jit Wut Zai” a nice Kampung with little bitty seeds
- D24
- D78
- D79
- D144
- D175 Red Prawn
- my favorite Tekka!!! 💕
- D197 Musang King
- D200 Black Thorn

Now is still the durian season in Pahang and Negeri Sembilan! Anyone else enjoying the long season? ☺️☺️

15/08/2024

We've driven past this small durian stall in Lenggeng dozens of times – in fact last year we stayed at the Pelamin Garden Homestay just 100 meters down the road for 2 nights and never stopped in to visit Mr. Zain Maarof, despite the fact that we were already Facebook friends and I'd been following his channel for years! I just didn't realize he was so close by.

Finally we got a chance to meet in person and it was such a pleasure! He was so generous with sharing both his time and the duirans and sent us home loaded with goodies.

I was especially excited to try the D5 Ibrahim, a variety I had never tried before. I am still a little confused by this type, as it is not listed in the official DOA register, so I'm not sure where the information/ID comes from.

The D5 was one of the best we tasted, with a strong caramel-milk chocolate flavor and soft texture.

The Bola had a phenomenally whipped, light, fragile texture that was almost hard to believe, like a meringue or that one time I made aquafaba whipped cream. So fluffy and airy! I loved it.

But the stand out was the Jantung, with its glowing dark yellow-gold texture and strong sweet-chemical aroma. If you like the Durio lowianus types (Durian hutan) you would probably love this one.

There is always something new and interesting hiding just under our noses! 🤣 we just have to take the time to stop and have a look.

We will definitely be back to visit again soon! Thanks Dato Zain from Lenggeng Most Wanted Durian Stall.

If you'd like to visit too, here's the Google Maps Link – hurry before the season is up!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/hJLyDyN3WkgdbCuh6

11/08/2024

Had a nice visit to Haw Kee Orchard in Pantai, Negeri Sembilan, to catch up with Harry Kok and enjoy what is probably one of the most delicious durians in Malaysia, the Durio lowianus hybrid now known as L13. We were lucky he had saved one or two for us! (Thanks Harry! 🙏)

When I first met the Kok siblings in 2017, they called it "Red Flower" as the tree has red-pink instead of white flowers like normal durian.

L13 is now very very famous and for a good reason – it's smooth fiberless flesh has intensity of heady floral alcoholic bitterness that sends heat straight to my cheeks and is so addictive.

A lot of people have planted trees of L13 now and it's on its way to be registered as an official D-durian clone with the Malaysian Department of Agriculture. I'm very excited to see more of these special durians being planted!

The 2024 season is just about over now for L13 and it's sister Lowianus-hybrid, L15, but if you want to know more about Haw Kee Durian Orchard check out my old blog post from 2017, yes there is a map! 📍

https://www.yearofthedurian.com/2017/11/negeri-sembilan-durian.html

13/07/2024

My favorite snapshots from the last two Durian Tours with Durian Traveler Trip to Penang! Thank you for joining us and choosing us as your durian concierge 🤭💜 always a delicious pleasure!

Each group had a different mission:
✨Group One wanted to taste extremely good quality Tupai King as well as Bitter Bitter Bitter Durians. Emphasis on the alcohol and bitter! As that’s my favorite, I was soooo happy to oblige! 😋😋🤤
✨Group Two wanted to taste as many types of Penang local durians as possible and go on some adventures to enjoy Penang’s natural beauty 🌅🌳

We feel so lucky that we got to hang out with such high-energy durian lovers and show them some of our favorite durian-munching spots! It’s a blessing to meet people with common interests — and when we go to Indonesia next we are looking forward to makan durian again together!

Looking forward to seeing you all next year in Penang or in Indonesia 🙂

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http://www.yearofthedurian.com/

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