Durian and Sticky Rice

Durian is Thailand’s top export earner. 

Do you know what it is or what it tastes like? I love it. If you have followed me at all on Facebook then you know I have Durian instead of Cake on my Birthdays, candles and all.

I love Durian, though it was an acquired taste. Do you want to Try It?

When I worked at the University in Chiang Mai I was the "Welcome Committee" and the "What you need to know about Thailand" Committee for all incoming foreign students.

It was a fun job. One thing I did each year is video the students tasting Durian for the first time. Hilarious. Of course I had to eat it first and make like I liked it, to draw them in and make them feel safe. 

In my forth year when I was fake liking it, an epiphany!!! I Love Durian. 

Today I Love Durian served in almost any and every way, there are many. I even have Durian Soda in my refrigerator right now. Here is one of my favorite Thai Desserts using durian.

Ingredients For Sticky Rice
1.5L water
500g Thai glutinous rice
400ml coconut cream
250g sugar
1 tsp salt

To Prep The Sticky Rice

• Soak Thai glutinous rice in cold water for 3 hrs.
• Prepare the coconut cream mixture by combining the coconut cream, sugar and salt into saucepan.
• On medium heat, stir the coconut mixture to dissolve the sugar without bringing it to boil. Turn off the heat and set aside.
• After 3 hrs, drain off excess water from glutinous rice. Steam the rice for 15 mins. Half way through steaming, you may open the steamer to turn the rice once.
• Put the cooked glutinous rice into a large mixing bowl, add the coconut cream mixture and stir to mix well. Cover the bowl with a tea towel, after 5 mins stir the rice mixture once more and cover again with tea towel then set aside.
  

Ingredients For Coconut Cream with Durian
500ml coconut cream
200g palm sugar
300g durian (fresh if available)
1 tsp salt

To Prep Coconut Cream with Durian

• Add 500ml of coconut cream, palm sugar and salt into saucepan.
• Turn on the heat and bring coconut mixture to simmer till sugar dissolved. Remove from heat. Set aside till cooled down to room temperature.
• Add fresh durian into coconut mixture. Break durian flesh into chunk piece. Ready to serve.
  

To Serve
Place glutinous rice portion size into serving bowl, then top with durian coconut mixture, making sure some durian chunks are on top of the rice.
Serve immediately.

Here is an Iconic Thai Dish, a combination of Durian (at the top of the heart) Sticky Rice and Fresh Mango. 

My Niece-in-Law made this out in Lampang.

Thai People Love Durian too, but every year the price goes up. This year for an uncut fruit, as pictured in the pile above, the cost is 160-180 Thai Baht a Kilo. That comes to $4.50 - $5.15 a kilo (or $2.25/$2.55 a pound)

One fruit can be as much a 3 Kilos easily. 

There are Durian fruits that go for as much as $600 for a single fruit.