Durian as Davao's King of Fruits (Davao del Sur, Philippines)

Along the roads of Davao del Sur, south of Davao City, you will sometimes find these makeshift stands selling Durian when they are in season. There are plenty of varieties, but the most popular and reliable is the Puyat variety which has milky meat, smaller seeds, and they're easier to break open. In this collection, there's a "Coob". Other varieties include "Puyat" (the gold standard), "Arancillo", "Basketball", "Malaysian", "Tiane", and a new one which I can't remember. A whole fruit will set you back between $3 to $5 per piece depending on the size during off-peak to as low as P40/piece if it's in season. 

Durian contains vitamins such as Vitamin C, folic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, B6 and vitamin A. Also found in durian are important minerals such as as potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, and phosphorus. It also contains nutrients such as phytonutrients, water, protein and beneficial dietary fiber.

Contrary to popular belief that it causes spikes in cholesterol, durian has good monounsaturated fats that can lower your harmful cholesterol levels and moderate your high blood pressure.

The durians in this photo come from a small farming town near Cotabato. Now imagine how much easier it would be if places like these didn't send red flags?