Why do it when you can saunter into a shop and shell out $5 or so for a durian, opened right before you?
Well, fruit foragers say fresh is best.
A taste test by LifeStyle found that wild durians were fragrant and bitter- sweet and, because they were fresher, not as dry as some of those being sold.
A picker, who declines to be named, says: 'They may not be as sweet but are more natural-tasting and healthier as there are no added medicines.'
He is referring to the fact that wild durians are free from pesticides and growth additives.
The average size of a wild durian is about that of a six-pack of beer, and significantly less fleshy than those for sale.
As for variety, pickers say the jungle serves up a surprising array including XO ones and those with red flesh, which are purported to be of better quality.