Why You Need To Try The Viral Durian Ice Cream At Costco At Least Once

If you love durian as much as I do, hurry and run, don't walk to Costco and grab Mavens Durian Ice Cream. Bolstered by its Shark Tank appearance and deal, Mavens Creamery (a female Vietnamese-American-founded company) has had viral success with an ice cream that brilliantly encapsulates durian's potent, sweet flavor with a creamy consistency. If you happen to see the ice cream's signature yellow container in Costco's freezers, grab it.

You get two pints of ice cream for about $10.99 per pint. If you're balking at the price, note that fresh durian is typically an expensive fruit, especially if it's from the musang or monthong family, averaging over $16 per pound on Amazon. Presently, you can find Mavens Durian ice cream in seven U.S. Costco regions, including the Pacific Northwest, but excluding many major East Coast cities.

Fans of durian will adore the flavor and savor its sweet aroma. Even those on the fence about durian should try this ice cream at Costco at least once. You might even turn into a durian fan. What exactly is durian? Hailed as the "King of Fruits" and the "smelliest fruit," durian's flavor and aroma polarize. You either hate or adore it. Fans call it sweet, creamy, floral, and unforgettable, while naysayers will say it tastes like onions and sweat or smells like baby diapers and cat poo. I chatted briefly with Mavens Creamery on Instagram and was told that people have even equated eating durian to "eating dead opossum."

Durian is often an acquired taste, but for me, it's always a treat. Mavens' custardy durian ice cream is no different. Once you get past the smell — and believe me, even this ice cream smells potent — this ice cream is delightful, though I wish there were traces of real durian fruit. The ice cream is not too sweet and rich, with slightly toned-down durian flavors, which makes this ice cream a good starting point for durian initiates. 

Mavens Durian ice cream went down fast. Within two days, we downed a pint at home. My mother, a forever fan of durian, loved the ice cream. My ten-year-old son has always had mixed feelings about durian. He pinched his nose and tried a spoonful of the ice cream. He was nonchalant about it and didn't ask for seconds. My dog dropped her bully stick and begged for a taste and seconds. As for my husband, he caught a whiff and fled the room (we're still unsure where he is right now).

We're just a small sample size, but you can see how even a durian ice cream can be polarizing. Across social media, Mavens Durian ice cream has made a splash. Those who have no clue what durian is are shocked when they first try the ice cream, calling it disgusting. However, durian fans like me, are excited and rejoice whenever they see it at Costco.