As the city lights up at dusk, the LED lights on Le Duy Ngoc’s, 40, durian-loaded pickup truck, parked on Nguyen Thi Thap Street side, also shine brightly.

Beyond the lights, the truck catches passersby’s attention with signs proclaiming: “Honest trading,” “Home-delivery warranty and compensation,” and “No tasting, no selling”.

On the truck’s side, Ngoc displays a board categorizing durians by four flavor profiles, or what he calls “taste preferences”: “Dry, sweet, and creamy”; “Sticky, sweet, and creamy”; “Soft, sweet, and creamy” and “Mushy, sweet, and creamy with a bitter note”.

Below the board, there is a commitment that only durian pieces matching the customer’s preferred taste are sold.

“This helps customers easily identify which durian flavor they like and want to eat. By defining their taste preference, they won’t end up with a durian or piece that doesn’t suit them,” he explained.

“That’s why I insist customers must try the durian when buying from me. Only when they try until they find the flavor they love, will I sell durian to them,” he said.

“If customers refuse to taste, I won’t sell, no matter the price,” he added.

Additionally, Ngoc has a rule against selling whole durians for customers to take home. Instead, he only sells pre-peeled pieces after customers taste and confirm they match their preferences.

This prevents customers from buying low-quality durians or ones that don’t suit their taste.

“And I also don’t sell large quantities to customers taking durians far away. Storing ripe durians for too long can alter their flavor and quality,” he said, explaining his rules.

Thriving business

Ngoc’s pickup truck and unique durian-selling approach draw many curious customers. At the truck, they receive Ngoc’s guidance, introductions, and tastings of various durian flavors.

With this business model, he sells 200-300kg of durians daily.

Trinh (44), a loyal customer, said that tasting beforehand and buying only pieces ensures she avoids getting unripe or overripe durians. “Though the price is slightly higher than the market price, the exchange or compensation policy makes me feel confident,” she said.

Ngoc once ran a durian shop in the old District 7, HCMC. He started this durian-selling on a pickup truck several years ago after helping his girlfriend sell the fruit on the sidewalk.

Seeing customers’ joy from eating delicious, well-suited durian pieces made shim happy and led him to stick with the business.

Each day, he sells durians at his shop from 10 am. In the afternoon, he sells the fruit on his pickup truck from 5 pm to 10 pm.

Ha Nguyen