Lean forward and transfer your weight onto your hands. The central seam should split to expose more pulp. Each compartment contains two or more oblong seeds surrounded by pulp which is attached to the inner walls along the central seam. The texture of the yellow to off-white pulp resembles a creamy custard sometimes with a fibrous grain akin to cooked chicken thighs. The flavor is an arguable mixture of caramel, bananas, cooked onions, almonds, and vanilla extract.
Durian lovers prefer a slightly under-ripened fruit.
The flavor peaks two or three days after the fruit has fallen from the tree. After this, the pulp quickly turns rancid. When passed its prime, it sports a wrinkled surface with greyish discoloration. The flavor rapidly disappears and the texture deteriorates to a consistency of puss. The durian is richer than most fruits because the pulp contains starches as well as fruit sugars.