How to pick a durian without getting poked

Everyone has an uncle who claims he can smell a good durian from across the street. The truth is far less mystical — three quick checks will get you ninety percent of the way there, and they work on any cultivar from Mao Shan Wang to Red Prawn.

The shake

Cup the fruit with both hands (a thick towel helps) and give it a firm, short shake. You are listening for a soft, muffled knock — that is the flesh gently knocking against the inner wall of the husk. It means the seed pods have dried slightly and pulled away from the shell, which happens as the fruit ripens.

The sniff

Bring your nose to the seams — the lines where the husk will eventually split — not the spiky tips. A ripe durian pushes its aroma out through these seams first. You want a rich, sweet heaviness. A sharp, grassy green smell means it was picked too early; a sour, fermented note means it has gone past its peak.

The stem

Flip the fruit over and look at the stem. A fresh fall has a thick stem with a slightly moist, pale cut. A thin, shrivelled, dark stem tells you the fruit has been sitting for days — or worse, was pulled off the tree before it was ready to drop.

The durian chooses its moment. Our job is simply to notice.

Put all three together and you will pick better fruit than most seasoned buyers. Or skip the homework entirely — every box we pack has already passed all three checks, twice.