Where does the world’s most expensive durian come from?
Once auctioned for up to 48,000 USD (more than 1.2 billion VND) at the “King of Durian” festival in 2019, a Kanyao durian from Nonthaburi province, Thailand, set a world record for the most expensive fruit.
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| Kanyao durian - "king of durians" with a round shape, characteristic long stem and value up to 1.2 billion VND/fruit. |
This special durian is grown in Nonthaburi, a fertile land located about 40 km north of Bangkok. Here, the Kanyao durian is grown completely organically, without the use of chemicals, each tree produces very few fruits, and they are all left to ripen naturally on the branches.
Why is Kanyao durian so expensive?
Rarity is part of the reason why Kanyao durian is sought after. Each year, only a few hundred fruits are released to the market. Although not all fruits reach the price of 1.2 billion VND, each fruit still costs from 20,000 baht (about 15 million VND) or more.
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| Kanyao durian flesh is golden yellow, smooth as cream, and retains its firmness even when ripe - worthy of the title of the world's most expensive delicacy. |
In addition, the cost of cultivation also contributes to the high price. The cost of water alone for watering the plants each year costs about 2,200 USD (more than 56 million VND). Not to mention, the meticulous care process and strict selection standards make the number of fruits that reach commercial quality extremely limited.
Is the quality worth the price?
Kanyao durian stands out with its round shape, stem length of 10-14 cm. The durian flesh is bright yellow, smooth like cream, fragrant and rich in sweetness. In particular, even when ripe, the fruit flesh still retains its firmness, not mushy like many common durian varieties.
Compared to Vietnamese durian - who is better?
In Vietnam, Ri6 durian is considered the best variety today, famous for its golden flesh, sweet and fatty taste, strong aroma and reasonable price (about 100,000-200,000 VND/kg). Although Ri6 cannot be compared in price or rarity as Kanyao, it has won over consumers with its stable quality, easy accessibility and is the pride of Vietnamese agricultural products.
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| Kanyao – luxurious, rare; Ri6 – aromatic, fatty, accessible. The two “national representatives” of Thailand and Vietnam each have their own culinary excellence. |
In short, if Kanyao is a symbol of luxury and exclusivity in the durian world, Ri6 represents sophistication, a balance between quality and practical value. Each has its own position – one is the “king of luxury”, the other is the “popular gem”.
