DurianGuide

Varieties

21 Thai durian varieties, from Monthong, sold everywhere, to rarities grown in a single district. Tap one to identify it, see its taste profile, and check when it's in season by region.

Monthongหมอนทอง

Enormous and heavy, with big, sparse, chunky thorns. If it's the size of a pillow, it's almost always this.

EverywhereMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Chaneeชะนี

Short, blunt, widely-spaced thorns; softens to a deep gold and smells stronger than most.

EverywhereStrong aroma
Kanyaoก้านยาว

Round like a volleyball (not deeply lobed), with an unusually long, thick stem.

UncommonMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Kradumกระดุม

Small and early, often the first durian to hit the market each season.

CommonMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Puangmaneeพวงมณี

Small, green-skinned, oval tapering to a point; vivid orange-gold flesh and a big seed.

UncommonMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Nuan Thong Chanนวลทองจันทร์

Looks like a greener Monthong, but with Puangmanee's rounded 'nose' and a brown star on the base.

RareVery mild aromaBeginner-friendly
Long Laplaeหลงลับแล

Small and round, thin-skinned, packed with deep-yellow flesh and tiny seeds. Northern (Uttaradit).

RareMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Lin Laplaeหลินลับแล

Small and cylindrical, shaped like a starfruit in profile, with a deeply concave base.

Hunt for itMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Kobกบ

Not one fruit but a sprawling heirloom family of 50-plus named varieties, all thought to trace back to one matriarch tree, Kob Mae Thao. Ask the seller which Kob it is.

RareModerate aroma
Nok Yipนกหยิบ

Smaller fruit in the Thong Yoi family; uncommon. Verify by sight with the seller.

RareModerate aroma
Kampanกำปั่น

A historic family name; identity varies. Confirm the specific fruit with the seller.

RareModerate aroma
Thong Yoiทองย้อย

A late-season family name (includes Nok Yip); verify the specific fruit with the seller.

RareModerate aroma
Chanthaburi Seriesจันทบุรี

Not one fruit but a government-bred series of registered hybrids, No. 1–10. Look for the number on the sign; each is a distinct cross.

UncommonMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Kanyao Wat Sakก้านยาววัดสัก

A prestige Nonthaburi strain of Kanyao from Wat Sak temple. Round, long-stemmed and exceptionally dense.

Hunt for itMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Nom Sodนมสด

Named for its pale, milky flesh, smooth like frozen yogurt with a clean bitter finish. Best eaten tree-dropped.

RareModerate aroma
Pa La Uป่าละอู

This is Monthong grown in the Pa La U forest near Hua Hin, sold under a protected-origin (GI) name. The fruit looks like any Monthong, so the giveaways are the ป่าละอู sign, a GI/QR sticker, and a noticeably milder smell.

RareMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Salikaสาลิกา

Cut it open and check the central core: a genuine Kapong Salika shows a rusty red-brown stain where the segments meet, with rust-toned patches along the rind grooves. Sellers point to that red core as proof. Otherwise it reads as a small, round, thin-skinned southern durian.

RareMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Chok Loiจอกลอย

Unusually tiny fruit, well under half a kilo and sized for one person. Among Thai market durians that extreme small size is the giveaway, with flesh pods that look large for such a little fruit.

Hunt for itMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Khiao Tam Luengเขียวตำลึง

Thorns that hook inward toward the rind, especially around the stem end, instead of standing straight, on a round-oval fruit with blunt ends.

Hunt for itModerate aromaBeginner-friendly
Mon La-Ong Fahหมอนละอองฟ้า

An unusually thick, long fruit stalk above small, short, densely-set thorns. The oversized stalk is the quickest tell, and the mon prefix marks it as a Monthong relative rather than a round Kob-type.

Hunt for itMild aromaBeginner-friendly
Thong Linjongทองลินจง

Exceptionally deep gold flesh, darker than most Thai durians, dry and firm enough to hold its shape when cut rather than turning custardy.

RareMild aromaBeginner-friendly