Fresh Durian Arancillo Variety
August is the Kadayawan Festival month in Davao City. During this time, I seem like many people have an excuse of not a reason to forget doctor's orders and eat DURIAN, the king of fruits considered by many people in southeast Asia as the "King of Fruits" given its delicious taste (that's a yes for us who love eating Durian) with yet a strong smell that we like while some people who don't eat it simply don't like. The famous description for Durian is that "It smells like hell yet taste like heaven!" The smell is so enticing for us who love to eat the king of fruits.
Last Friday on our way home from attending the afternoon First Friday Mass at the nearest church, we passed by a durian vendor that parked his mobile stall or whatever more apt term there is for it. It is the first time we saw him there in front of the sari-sari store.
He was selling Fresh Durian Arancillo Variety that sells for P40 per kilo. Arancillo is said to be named after former BPI-PhilFruits Director Vicente Arancillo according to an article I found through Google.
While my first love among the durian varieties was the native which is more bitter and strong in taste yet creamy that is usually easily distinguished among people who are durian lovers, I have come to like the taste of the other durian varieties. I like the more sweet, delicious type which are creamy in taste and nice texture and I find that in the Arancillo Durian variety. How about you? What's your favorite durian variety?
Going back, the durian that manong durian vendor has last Friday were not that big and I just requested for one that is as close to a kilo. He easily found one and in as much as I try to avoid eating durian now for the effects it has on us, hubby and I just could not resist especially when you have the durian and Coca-Cola Coke softdrink combo.
The durian vendor let me taste it upon opening it. Most of the vendors here allow you to taste the durian which is nice so you would have an option of which taste of each variety you like to indulge yourself in.
Etcetera...
I am not a durian expert buy we have a suki durian vendor along F. Torres Street in Davao City. His name sounds like Lito (sorry I tend to confuse it with Tito) and he used to park his multicab full of durian along F. Torres Street corner Panganiban Street across Bistro Rosario or Cups and Lowercase or at that corner going to Ponce Suites. Sometimes it would cause a little traffic at that corner since some cars and taxis would stop by to buy durian expecially at night. NOW they moved a bit and they park their multicab nearer the entrance of Holiday Gym and Spa still along F. Torres Street. They have been our suki durian vendor there since we moved downtown and found them there. They have many suki. One group of guys selling near Victoria also in a multicab even said they belong to the same supplier. That's how known Lito is to his suki durian customers here in the city.
We used to have Nong Willy as our suki durian vendor in front of Magsaysay Park along the corner of Leon Garcia Street and R. Magsaysay Avenue (more known by its old name as Uyanguren). Near Magsaysay Park in Davao you will find the stalls of Magsaysay Fruit Vendors Association and many of them are Durian vendors of Davao City. We love Nong Willy in the office then because he would sometimes give us free extra durian when we buy many of it for our office boss to be brought to Manila. I actually learned to indulge in durian in that office because our big boss from Manila simply loves durian. Every time he would come here then or even if not, we would buy and send plenty of durian to Manila.
The price can vary also when it is peak season or not. The lean season when there is less supply of durian, expect the price to be higher. I remember those days when it used to even price as low as P20-P25 per kilo and those were the days when I could eat at least five serving/seed in one durian eating session. These days I had to control. In as much as many claim the benefits of durian, it does have some effect to the not so healthy and young anymore. It is okay to indulge but just know how to control depending on one's appetite and tolerance.
Otherwise for the young and healthy foodies who can truly indulge in durian, enjoy! Hope this Kadayawan Festival 2013, we have an abundant and lower priced supply of delicious durian may it be the Arancillo Durian variety of others.
