The other day while wondering around at the Farmers’ Market near Jatujak, we were enticed by a stallkeeper to sample her durian. She had 2 types – Morn Thong and Garn Yao.
The stallkeeper asked how we prefer our durian, which really meant do I like them half-ripe (‘harm’ in Thai) or ripe (‘sook’ in Thai). So what’s the difference? The harm is whiter in colour and crunchy with lighter taste. The sook is more yellow and soft with much stronger full bodied taste. First we tried the Morn Thong type which turned out to be quite good. We thought the sook version tasted better than the harm. Then we sampled the Garn Yao, which turned out to be delicious. The harm was slightly crunchy on the outside skin while the inside was softer. Our preference was definitely Garn Yao over Morn Thong
The price did reflect the difference. Garn Yao was 80 Baht per 100g which was twice the price of Morn Thong at 40 Baht per 100g. Apparently the price at this level is considered to be fairly low. For the best Garn Yao we can expect to pay around 2000 Baht per kilo. Khun Nid Stall, supposedly the best durian stall at the Farmers Market, is such as retailer who commands these price levels for her best Garn Yao durians.
We were informed that Nonthaburi is the province which is known for its Garn Yao durian. The shape of Garn Yao is smaller and more symetrical than Morn Thong. The outer colour is more green and the spikes are wider apart. The stem is longer hence the name Garn Yao.
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