Durian King of Fruits in New Zealand

Do you know much about durian? In some places, it is called the “King of Fruits.”
The first time I tried durian was in New Zealand. I can’t remember exactly when, or whether I bought it myself or someone gave it to me, but it was a frozen durian.

At first, the smell didn’t bother me as much as people said it would. I tried it, and I actually liked it—liked it very much. After that, I started wanting to try fresh ones.

The first time I tried a fresh durian was either in Hong Kong or Thailand.

In Thailand, I was visiting Thaifex, a food show, on a business trip. When I had some spare time, I went to a local market and bought a whole durian from a market stall. They opened it for me and packed it into a takeaway container. I tried it right there in the marketplace, sitting on a chair. I liked it just as much as the frozen ones. I still enjoy fresh durian, but I’ve realised that frozen durian is actually not bad at all.

I also tried a few exotic fruits there, such as mangosteen and starfruit. While travelling, I noticed that local supermarkets also sold durian—both whole durians with shells and durian flesh already removed and wrapped on trays.

I understand why some people say it’s very stinky, like rotten onions or meat, and that it tastes awful. I know exactly which smell and flavour they’re talking about. But when all the elements come together as a fruit, I really like it. Since the first time I tried it (sometime before 2010—I can’t remember the exact year), I have continued to enjoy it.

Now I understand that there are many different types of durian, and their taste, texture, and scent vary. Monthong from Thailand and Musang King from Malaysia are commonly seen in the New Zealand market. These days, you can also find durian from Vietnam. In fact, if you look into where durian is grown, you’ll find many Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.

The more I eat durian, the more I like it, and now I want to learn more about it.

In New Zealand, you can find durian in the freezer section of most major Asian supermarkets, as well as at Costco Westgate. Recently, I found a few PAK’nSAVE stores in East Auckland selling durian, and Costco Westgate was also selling fresh durian this year (2025), although it has disappeared from the shelves now. I bought one from Costco Westgate and one from a PAK’nSAVE. I kept the seeds, hoping they might still be alive and able to grow here. I know the climate isn’t suitable for durian, but who knows—maybe I’ll get lucky.