Vanmorgen ontvingen we een gastblog van Willie Smits, hij gaat de komende tijd wat vaker iets schrijven voor ons, mits de tijd het toelaat:

Durian season!

I know that not everyone will have the same interpretation of that exclamation mark but for me it is exciting to be able to enjoy the king of fruits, the orangutan’s favorite, at affordable prices again. Its pungent smell abhors many people but once you associate that smell with the delicious sweet creamy flesh surrounding those big seeds I can personally not imagine anyone not falling in love with this jungle fruit.

Most people only know the durian species known as Durio zibethinus with a multitude of local variety names like Montong, Musang King, etc. The Latin zibethinus was the botanical species name assigned by Linnaeus and actually refers to a cyvet with strongly smelling glands. So I guess Linnaeus was in the non-durian-eating-category ;-). Actually there are 30 different botanical durian species with hundreds of local names too. Eleven of them produce edible fruits amongst which these shown in the picture below.
Right now in Kalimantan we can find the Durio dulcis, D. kutejensis and D. oxleyanus for sale under the local names Lahung, Lai and Kerantungan. I love the Lahung and Kerantungan. Not as smelly but a heavenly taste and smooth texture.

I remember sitting with a group of Dayak near (not underneath!! a falling durian can wreak a lot of damage to one’s head!) a durian tree in the forest waiting for the next sound of a durian crashing down. Instantly we would rush to locate it and open and share it. Durians that ripened and fell in the natural way are best! Every time I come across durian I automatically remember my dear friend Father Jacques Maessen, co-founder of the Sintang Orangutan Center. Going around together the orangutan project and sharing durians with them. Below some of my special durian moments

Enjoying durians on the terrace of Kobus House overlooking Jacque’s beautiful garden and also during one of our many visits to the Dayak longhouse in Ensaid Panjang.

And introducing durians to the youngest ones in the Sintang Orangutan Center.

Willie Smits, 26 januari 2026
Oprichter van de Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation
Oprichter van het Sintang Orangutan Center