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How to Eat a Durian

Opening a durian looks intimidating, but it comes apart along built-in seams once you know where to push. Here is how to pick one, open it, and eat it.

Pick a ripe one by its strong smell, cut it open along the seams from the base with a gloved hand, and scoop out the soft, custard-like flesh from around each seed. You eat the flesh, not the husk or the raw seeds.

Step by step
  1. Check it is ripe. A ripe durian smells strong and sweet at the base, gives a little when you press two thorns together, and you can hear the flesh shift if you shake it gently. If it is hard and almost odorless, leave it at room temperature for a day or two.
  2. Protect your hands. The thorns are sharp enough to draw blood. Hold the fruit with thick gloves or a folded kitchen towel, the way vendors do.
  3. Turn it base-up and find the star. Flip the durian so the stem points down. At the base you will see faint lines meeting in a small five-pointed star. Those are the seams between the segments.
  4. Cut along a seam. Starting from the star, score along one seam about a centimetre deep, then work the knife tip in and twist. The shell will start to split.
  5. Pry it open with your hands. Pull the two sides apart along the seam to expose a segment of pale, creamy flesh. Repeat seam by seam until all the segments are open.
  6. Lift out the flesh and eat. Each lobe of flesh wraps a large seed. Scoop it out with your fingers or a spoon, eat the soft flesh, and set the seed aside. Throw away the husk.
How to tell if a durian is ripe

Smell: a ripe durian is fragrant at the base. A strong, sweet smell is a good sign; little or no smell usually means it is underripe.

Sound: shake it gently. A faint knock or movement means the flesh has loosened from the shell.

Spines: press two thorns toward each other. On a ripe fruit they give a little; on an unripe one they stay stiff.

Cracks: a durian that has just begun to split along a seam is very ripe and should be eaten soon.

What you can and can't eat

The soft flesh around each seed is the part you eat. The seeds are not eaten raw, though they are edible boiled or roasted, like a starchy nut. The thorny husk is not edible, so throw it away.

Durian is a dessert fruit in Thailand. It is often eaten on its own, or with sticky rice and coconut milk. Eat it the day you open it if you can; the flesh keeps only a day or two, wrapped airtight, in the fridge.

New to durian? Start mild
Monthongหมอนทอง

The mildest common variety and the easiest first durian. Sweet and creamy, with a gentle smell.

Chaneeชะนี

A step up in strength once you like Monthong. Richer and more custardy.

Common questions
How do you open a durian?

Hold it with gloves or a towel, turn it base-up, and find the small five-pointed star where the seams meet. Cut along one seam about a centimetre deep, then pull it apart with your hands and repeat for each seam.

How do you know when a durian is ripe?

It smells strong and sweet at the base, the thorns give slightly when pressed, and the flesh shifts a little when you shake it. No smell usually means it needs another day or two at room temperature.

What part of the durian do you eat?

Only the soft, pale-yellow flesh around each seed. The thorny husk and the raw seeds are not eaten.

Can you eat durian seeds?

Not raw. Boiled or roasted, the seeds are edible and taste like a starchy nut, similar to a chestnut.

Can you eat durian raw?

Yes. Durian is almost always eaten raw and fresh. Ripe flesh is soft and ready to eat straight from the shell, with no cooking needed.

How do you store leftover durian?

Scoop the flesh off the seeds, wrap it airtight (the smell travels), and refrigerate for a day or two, or freeze it for longer. Frozen durian eaten half-thawed is almost like ice cream.

On confidence: The opening method and ripeness cues are standard practice. Ripeness is a matter of taste, some people like durian firmer, others very soft and strong, so treat the timing as a guide, not a rule.