A fruit with a hard spiky exterior and soft, mushy flesh, the durian has a repellent smell that contrasts sharply with its taste, which ranges from a cloying sweetness to a complex bitter-sweetness that can linger on the tongue like fine wine.
It turns from green to yellow when ripe and can be broken into five locules by pressing it with the hand. The 5-loculed has 2 - 3 seeds in each locule, surrounded by light color, mealy, sweet aril and the edible pulp.
Maturity is judged by appearance (fruit stalk thickness and flexibility, abscission zone, or carpel sutures, number of days from flowering and a hollow sound when tapped with a wood /rattan stick or knife.
At the fully ripe stage, fruit normally splits into segments irregular width at the stylar end.
Durian is a good source of iron, B vitamins and ascorbic acid. The thick, pudding-like texture of the aril is due to gums, pectin, and hemicellulose. The seed of durian is rich in oil, carbohydrate and some proteins.
Fruit of durian
