Durian

[Whippet]

Does anyone know if it's possible to find durian fruit (preferably whole, but frozen would do) in Manhattan? If not, where online could I order a few? My google-fu has failed me.
Other "exotic" fruit suggestions are welcome!
Chava

[jlean22]

how to pick ripe durian?
my mom usually have to smell them, or you can go by what simon mentioned, check with the sellers. Best durian, in my humble opinion are from indonesia, specially, from north sumatra. unlike thais and spore's, overthere, durian flavors and textures comes in a large varieties,
from ice cream like sweet tasting to bitter, slimy to thick textures

other exotic fruits? i saw some rambutan on canal street (skin of rambutan is red but the inner part of the rambutan (the meat) is white. The skin of the rambutan has lots of "hair.

enjoy!!

[kevin]

more importantly what does it smell like?

since many have said " it smells like hell, but tastes like heaven"

[Simon]

it really only stinks when it's indoors, especially when it's very ripe and first opened...personally, i found the stories of the stench to be a bit exaggerated...but it's been described as onion mixed w/ rotting garbage...

i usually open it on my roofdeck, and then freeze the sections and eat it like ice cream, and there is really little smell that way...

[Wilfrid]

I have tried it the odiferous/slimy way in Singapore. What do you pay for one of these monstrosities, anyway?

[Simon]

Several stands in Chinatown carry them but my favorite place is the one on the NW corner of Bowery and Grand...i bought one there last weekend, and it was delicious...

[huzzahhuzzah]

Do you know how to pick a ripe durian?

[Simon]

i usually throw myself at the mercy of the seller and ask them to pick (which at the Grand/Bowery stand has usually worked out great)...i've only been eating-them/addicted for about a year, so i'm not an expert yet...

[Spoony Bard]

Here's a good site, info on both the King and Queen of fruit (Durian and Mangosteen): http://www.proscitech.com.au/trop/d.htm

How to pick a ripe one is halfway down. Note that degree of ripeness is also a personal preference. I've read that Thais like theirs on the less ripe side, while Malaysians prefer it odiferous and slimy, God love 'em.

[JMF]

Just about every produce place in Chinatown has it and every Asian supermarket has it frozen. As a matter of fact in C'town you can find just about every fruit there is. Even mangosteens have been seen there recently, although I haven't yet run across dragonfruit.

[Whippet]

i just ran across dragonfruit; I can't tell you exactly where, but somewhere between the Canal Street station and that big market, on the way towards Jing Fong.

[devil]

At many grocery stores in Chinatown.