XO Durian
In terms of age, freshness, and provenance, XO durian is just a higher-quality variant of D24.
If you want your durian to be robust and bitter, XO is the durian for you. The XO durian is bitter, with a touch of alcohol flavour developed over a long period of fermentation within its shell. Durian XO’s fruit is smaller than other durians, and the flesh is thick and watery. It also has a strong odour that only good XO durians have, and it is incredibly soft to handle due to its mild wateriness.
The alcohol-like flavour of XO durian is well-known. It’s delicate, creamy, and bitter. It’s a common ingredient in coffee and other delectable dishes. The XO variety is primarily found in Johor and Pahang, where it is relatively widespread.
The XO liquor gave this durian its name. Because of the long fermenting period, it is pretty bitter (but still delicious and pleasant). The husk of XO durians is thin and brownish-green in colour, similar to that of most other durians.
Durians from XO are usually round, oval, or even starfruit shaped. Unlike the Mao Shan Wang, the fruit’s base has a star-shaped central depression, and its spikes point inwards towards the bottom. The hue of the bottom is generally dark green, with brownish tips.
Spikes point inwards, towards the base. They’re also equally spaced and distributed over the fruit. The length of the spikes, which are relatively long and thin with a brown tip, is another distinguishing trait of XO durian. There are only one or two seeds in each region of the XO durian.
XO durians have a variety of textures, from sticky to somewhat wet. The flesh is likewise pale cream white, with those with a black spot being more bitter than the rest. You may feel a little dizzy after eating XO durians because the durian was fermented in its shell for a long time. For some, the bitter flavour combined with the alcohol aftertaste might be overpowering. This is not a durian to be advised to individuals who are new to durians.
Characteristics of XO Durian
- Known for its strong alcoholic taste.
- The flesh of the durian is soft and watery.
- Smaller in size compared to other durians.
- Quality XO durians have a strong pungent smell.
- The husk is thin and brownish green in colour.
- The durian’s spike points inwards towards the base.
- The spikes are longer and thinner than other durians.
- The XO durian has either one or two seeds.
- The colour of the flesh is pale creamy white in colour.
- Flesh with a darker patch is extremely bitter.
