Touring the hawker markets of South East Asia at the right time of year and you might be smacked in the face by the sweet and strong scent of durian.
It’s a polarising smell, and this might be good or bad news depending on where you sit, but it’s coming to Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market all weekend. At Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May, from 9am - 3pm in RK/RL Sheds, durian traders with samples from Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand will be supplying the aromatic fruit for durian lovers to purchase alongside a plethora of snacks from other stalls, including noodles, curry plates, whole fried squid and dumplings.
Durasia will be bringing along the prized Malaysian variety, Musang king, which is so highly sought after in some countries it’s illegally smuggled in.
The durian festival comes off the back of the successful Hawker 88 night markets from 2019. Source: Queen Victoria Market
Luckily, Musang king durian can be imported into Australia, and after visiting a farm in Raub, Pahang, Durasia owner Mukhlis Rohaizak and in 2019 his business partners decided to arrange their first shipment. It's been love at first sight ever since.
“Our main market is Asians living in Australia who are already familiar with the unique taste of durians,” Rohaizak told SBS Food ahead of their first market. “Having said that, we are also trying hard to promote our durian to other demographics that simply haven’t had the chance to taste the delicious fruit.”
“In South-East Asia, durians would be brought in on trucks and displayed on makeshift shelves to be sold on the side of the road. Customers can then choose their durian before it is weighed and cut open to be enjoyed on pop-up tables and chairs,” he explains.
There are plenty of other goodies to complement your durian at the Queen Vic Market. Source: Queen Victoria Market
Durasia will be replicating this same scenario and feeling by serving freshly cut and opened durians. Customers will be able to choose which fruit they wish to purchase for dining in or takeaway.
“We’ll be encouraging customers to eat using their hands, which is the traditional way of enjoying a durian,” says Rohaizak.
There will also be durian ice cream available at Durasia, which may be a more palatable entry-point for first timers.
Rohaizak says he is confident that once consumers try the Musang king they will be jumping the fence to taste more.
Even my wife, who doesn’t particularly fancy the fruit, gave the Musang king a try and suddenly found herself craving more!”
“Durians can be discouraging for anyone trying to have a first taste as they emit quite a powerful smell that indicates they are ready to be eaten,” he explains.
“Having said that, many people have become a ‘convert’ as soon as trying it; saying that nothing else tastes like it. This is especially the case with the Musang king. Even my wife, who doesn’t particularly fancy the fruit, gave the Musang king a try and suddenly found herself craving more!”
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