Durian on pizza, in curry crab and clay pot chicken: Hong Kong chefs get creative with ‘king of fruits’
With its powerful smell no fruit divides opinion more, but for fans of durian used to eating it only in desserts there are some imaginative savoury offerings at Hong Kong restaurants this season
With durian, there’s often a fine line between love and hate. No other fruit is as polarising – inspiring extreme reactions that vary from person to person.
Many can’t even stand its smell – often described as “rotting garbage” and “decomposing flesh”. Others, meanwhile, are willing to pay top dollar for “the king of fruits”, especially for the varieties imported from Malaysia, which are smaller than those from Thailand.
Although durian is produced throughout the year, April to June is considered by many to be the best time to taste this spiky fruit. And while purists will argue that the fruit should be enjoyed on its own, chefs are coming up with creative ways to incorporate durian into their dishes.
Candy Lam, manager of the restaurant, says its Thai chef came up with the dishes himself after a previous durian shaved ice dessert at the restaurant was well received.
“Not many restaurants in Hong Kong would do a dish like this, as durian is a fruit that some people don’t accept,” she says.