Khao Niaow Durian, or Durian and Sticky Rice ข้าวเหนียวทุเรียน

Khao Niaow Durian, or Durian and Sticky Rice ข้าวเหนียวทุเรียน

at the Ayutthaya Night Market, Thailand

Nobody has neutral feelings towards durian. Known as both the "world's smelliest fruit" and the "king of fruit", durian is an acquired taste and smell that one either adores or despises. There's no middle ground! For just a short period of time in the year, durian and durian products show up at markets and shops throughout Thailand. One of my favorites is the sweet, rich, and delicious dessert khao niaow durian, or durian with sticky rice.

Khao Niaow Durian, or Durian and Sticky Rice ข้าวเหนียวทุเรียน

 

Khao niaow durian is a uniquely Thai dessert. Like it's more famous cousin, mango sticky rice, durian and sticky rice consists of fresh pieces of fruit served over a small portion of sweetened sticky rice. The sticky rice, or glutinous rice, itself is cooked with coconut milk, and has an inherent sweetness, and the entire dish is topped with a light drizzle of sweet and aromatic coconut cream.

fresh durian for sale at the Ayutthaya Night Market, Thailand

The durian itself is already very good. I'm a fan, but I admit that it is an acquired taste, and not everybody's immediate cup of tea. It actually took me a few years to come to love it. Serving the - let's be honest - pungent pieces of durian with the sticky rice and coconut cream helps to cut through some of the strong taste and aroma of the infamous fruit.

If you don't know what durian is, I'll probably write a whole post about it soon. Basically, this weird, high-calorie, rich and creamy fruit is said to "taste like heaven and smell like hell". Some say that it tastes like vanilla ice cream but smells like stinky feet and gasoline. Others love both the smell and the taste. It's definitely a very complicated and controversial fruit!

small cups of durian and sticky rice for sale at the Ayutthaya Night Market

As a whole, this dish is very, very rich and super filling, which is why it's almost always served in very small portions. In my opinion, it's worth the high calorie count, especially as it is seasonal and only available for a few months throughout the year. It's always special to find it, as it's not super easy to come across shops selling khao niaow durian!

durian and sticky rice served with coconut milk for dessert

Price

A small cup of durian sticky rice costs 40 baht (around $1).

Where to get it

You can find this delicious durian and sticky rice shop at the Ayutthaya Night Market, which opens up every night at 4:30pm on Naresuan Road. Every evening, barriers are put up closing half of the road off from traffic. The street market is a fun place to try lots of amazing central Thai cuisine. Durian is a seasonal fruit, though, so you might not always be able to find it! Typically, you can find durian and durian products for about four months of the year, during the late summer and early rainy season throughout Thailand (May-August).

There's a ton of great food to find at the Ayutthaya Night Market. Don't pass up on the delicious fried chicken and crispy vegetables ("Thai tempura).