The yummy part of durian. ©Kate Bangkok via Pexels
Davao, the Queen City of the South, has a rich cultural heritage and a lot of wonderful places to visit. What makes Davao distinct, however, is its renowned durian fruit that is gaining popularity not only in the region but also int the whole country as well. It smells really bad, yes, but once you get past that, you’ll learn how delicious it can be!
(Full disclosure: I don’t eat durian! I do eat durian candy, durian ice cream, durian pie….anything durian as long as it’s not the fresh fruit itself.)
The fruit serves as Davao’s symbolism of the city’s agricultural growth. It is highlight of the city’s annual cultural and historical events, like the Kadayawan and Araw ng Dabaw.
A number of well-established food chains and restaurants in Davao has also included durian in their dessert menu and as well as an ingredient for their delicacies.
Would you eat durian? ©SpencerWing via Pixabay
They say that in order to have a memorable trip to Davao, one should try a taste of durian. Yes, “try,” because eating durian fruit can be a huge challenge. As an adventuring foodie, trying durian for the first time in Davao is a must.
In fact, durian lovers go to Magsaysay Park, park their cars, and eat durian with their hands. The park is definitely one of the places you should visit to experience the pride of the city.
Durian, considered as the King of Fruits, is a very large fruit with a very strong smell and a husk of thick thorns. It belongs to the family Malvaceae and genus Durio and can grow to as large as 12 inches in length and 6 inches in diameter. It can weigh from 1kg to 3kg and the color varies from husk green to brownish as well as flesh pale yellow to red.
Inside the fruit is a mass of edible cream colored pulp with glutinous smoothness that is neither juicy nor acidic. It comes in different varieties like Puyat, Arancillo, Duyaya, Alcon Fancy, Mamer, Native Malagkit, Thornless, and Graveolens.
Putting the pride of Davao into delicacies and desserts extends the popularity of durian from just being a fruit to a must-have in restaurants. Here are the different durian delicacies and dessert that are unique and purely Davao style for gastronomically adventurous tourists.
The coffee of Blugré Café. ©Blugré Café.
Durian Cappuccino of Blugré Café
Blugré is a popular coffee shop in Davao. Its signature Durian Coffee is available either hot (Durian Coffeeccino) or cold (Durian Arctic Blast). It features a strong espresso base with real durian bits that settle down at the bottom of the coffee. The texture may be unusual but the coffee works and the taste is quite sweet. The coffee is mostly paired with Blugré’s Durian De Leche Cheesecake which is also one of their signature desserts.
Lachi’s Sans Rival Atbp.
Lachi is popular for their unrivaled sans rival. Their popular dessert has become a personal favorite of some customers of the place. This Durian Cheesecake has a smooth and creamy appeal that is frequently ordered aside from their durian sans rival.
Crocodile Park
Crocodile Park is one of the top tourist destinations in Davao featuring various exotic animals and reptiles. Once you’re done watching them feed the crocodiles, go have Crocodile Durian Ice Cream. It is made from eggs of crocodile rather than chicken eggs which make them creamy. This exotic dessert combine the durian and crocodile meat into an ice cream form.
Ice Giants Desserts and Snacks
Ice Giants and Snacks is a quick-service dessert and snack place. Their halo-halo in durian flavor called Durian Delight is a combination of fine shaved ice, milk, fresh durian, nuts, vanilla ice cream, a little whipped cream, rice crispies, strawberry syrup, and cherry on top.
Lola Abon’s Original Durian Candy Factory
Lola Abon’s is known for their best-tasting durian delicacies with no preservatives added. The durian products sold are cheaper than in other stores in Davao but are truly delicious. They have celebrities as customers, wanting to buy their durian candy, durian tart, durian yema (milk balls), and durian polvoron.
Have you had durian? What did you think of it?
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