Everybody sees that Singapore is home to the world’s most fervid durian lovers. While the majority of Singapore’s delectable durians are imported from neighbouring countries like Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, the much less known are durian trees growing from Singapore’s soils. Let us take you to the secret spots of Singapore’s very own durians in this blog!
The Singapore Durian
The first of our native durian species is the Durio Singaporensis, known also as Singapore Durian or Durian Duan. Durio Singaporensis looks like a regular durian on the outside, but it is much smaller, measuring about 7.6 – 11.4cm in width. Its spikes are thin, and stiff, and look more like rambutan spines than the thick, weighty thorns seen on durians normally sold at stores in Singapore. Unfortunately, the Singapore Durian is not a fruit to be relished by your tastebuds – its large brown seeds are not covered by any flesh, which eliminates them from the list of lip-smacking durian varieties to be enjoyed.
Durio Singaporensis grows only in Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. If you’re at the Nee Soon Swamp Forest, Upper Seletar or the MacRitchie Reservoirs, you might spot the large, oblong leaf blades of this durian plant; these are the untold places in which they grow.
Singapore’s three other durian varieties
Three other durian varieties have names that are nothing like the catchy ones of our most beloved durians: Mao Shan Wang, Black-Thorn, D-24, or Red Prawn. Instead, they are named H.C. Tan No. 2, H.C. Lim and Lim Keng Meng.
Nevertheless, H.C. Tan No. 2 is pear-shaped with flat seeds and creamy, sweet flesh, and H.C. Lim is oval-shaped with small seeds and pink, sweet flesh. The Lim Keng Meng variety, on the other hand, has medium-thick flesh that is both creamy and bittersweet.
Enticing as it may be to get your hands on these tasty fruits, these durian varieties are out of reach for the average Singaporean durian connoisseur! Sadly, they are found only in agrotechnology parks and research centres in the country.
Locating the best durians
Now, you might be tempted to search for wild durian trees growing around the island. Pulau Ubin is one place where wild durians grow, and there are even durian picking community groups on Facebook that plan trips to such secluded durian destinations. But these secret spots are often located in protected, off-limit areas – meaning that your determined adventure to a wild durian spot will be, in fact, illegal.
Truth be told, your best alternative to Singapore’s native durian species are the imported durians that are sold in Singapore. Since durians have a short shelf life, after harvesting, they have to be quickly transported to Singapore and consumed within a few days. This means that durians are freshly imported daily, and the imported durians that you buy don’t come second in freshness to Singapore’s homegrown ones!
Whether creamiest Mao Shan Wang or other vying varieties like D24, XO, or Black Thorn, the quickest way to get home the best durians in Singapore is to order the King of Fruits online. You can easily check updated durian prices from season to season, compare these prices with durians sold on other online stores, and have these rich fruits delivered directly to your doorstep within the very same day.
While it might be exciting to hunt for Singapore’s homegrown durians, we think that it’s most satisfying to sit back and indulge in the most delicious durian in the comfort of your home!
Shop the freshest durian from Durian Factory online store. We offer same-day delivery services, and guarantee that our durians are handpicked, dehusked and packed on the same day!
