The Origin and Spread of Durian: From Southeast Asian Jungles to World Dinner Tables
Durian is a pure tropical fruit. Its fruit is about the size of a football. The peel is quite hard and has many triangular thorns growing on it.
When it comes to the origin of durian, there are two main theories. One theory is that it was originally produced in Malaysia and Sumatra. The other theory claims that it was introduced from Tawai, Malik and Danaus in Myanmar.
It is said that in ancient times, the Siamese army was about to go on an expedition to Myanmar. Due to transportation difficulties, they had to look for available materials locally. Later, they discovered that such a wild fruit existed. However, what I didn't expect was that the taste turned out to be very sweet and delicious beyond imagination.
When the war ended, Siamese soldiers brought it back to Bangkok to plant it, and durian has taken root in Thailand ever since.
It is said that in that area of Bangkok, the descendants of those Siamese soldiers own a courtyard. In this courtyard, durian trees are still growing today. The age of these durian trees can be as long as 100 to 150 years.
Although Zheng He experienced this wonderful taste very early, what is regrettable is that he was not the first to promote durian to our country.
In the early years of the Republic of China, durian first came to our country on a large scale. Chinese businessmen who went to Southeast Asia brought durian saplings back and tried to plant them in parts of Hainan and Yunnan.
In the following days, with the rise of ocean trade and the development of cold chain transportation technology, a large number of durians arrived in my country across the ocean, and gradually entered the homes of ordinary people, becoming a popular fruit among the public.
In 2022, China's fresh fruit imports in order from high to low are durian, cherry, banana, mangosteen and grape, with durian firmly occupying the "top spot".
The growth characteristics and unique survival rules of the durian tree
Durian fruit can weigh several kilograms. It is usually propagated by seeds. It will bear fruit after five or six years. An adult tree can grow to a height of more than 20 meters.
As it grows, in order to avoid being damaged by people and livestock, the durian fruit will gradually become covered with hard thorns, which is its own protective function.
Each durian can produce nearly a hundred fruits every year. The weight of an ordinary durian is about two to three kilograms, and the largest one can reach 20 kilograms. Therefore, it is called the "King of Fruits in the World".
Miraculously, such a large and heavy fruit can hang on the trunk of a tree without falling off.
This is because durian trees follow the survival law of natural selection. During the durian ripening season, tall durian trees have the ability to withstand hundreds of kilograms of weight, while shorter trees are eliminated because they cannot withstand the super-intensive pressure caused by the falling fruits.
Durian’s main producing areas and varieties map
According to the data registered by the agricultural departments of various countries, there are many varieties of durian. There are 134 durians in Malaysia. The more famous ones include Musang King, red shrimp, gourd, Sultan King, red meat, orange meat, etc.
Among the 234 varieties of durians in Thailand, the three largest ones are Golden Pillow, Qingni, and Long-handled.
From the perspective of genetic inheritance, even under normal reproduction methods, durian can derive many varieties with both similarities and differences based on its own characteristics.
Among the very common imported products in the market today, the Golden Pillow from Thailand is one of them. Its flesh is golden in color and very sweet, making it suitable for those who are just starting to taste durian. However, Malaysia’s Musang King is regarded as a top-quality product by experienced food lovers due to its complex taste of bitter and sweet blends, rich milky aroma and silky texture.
Scientific interpretation of durian flavor: why love and hate are so clear
Taking taste as a consideration, durian is one of those fruits that is quite controversial. Some people praise its delicious flesh, which can make people salivate with extreme appetite. However, there are also some people who feel fear when facing durian and choose to avoid it and not have any contact with it.
Durian is commonly known as civet fruit. Musk fruits have a common characteristic, that is, the fruit has a strong and excessive odor, which is actually a fruity aroma.
Observers found that such a unique "durian smell" is produced by the interaction of more than 120 chemical compounds, which can be divided into two types of compounds: aroma and odor.
According to scientists, the unique smell of durian is very beneficial to its survival in nature. This smell can attract more wild animals to eat the durian fruit. In this way, the seeds can be spread further.
Scientists from Singapore have discovered that there is a smell gene with a unique function in durian. It is precisely because of the existence of this gene that durian exudes that famous and unique special smell!
Different people have completely different olfactory experiences, and their ability to absorb odors is also different. This is the key reason why some people find durian smelly while others find it fragrant.
Because of the mixed reviews, Singapore and other countries have explicitly banned durians from being brought on buses, subways, trains, or airplanes, and they are not allowed to be eaten in public places.
How to identify and select authentic durians
If you want to eat authentic high-quality durian, identification skills are essential.
The first thing to notice is the shape. A good-quality durian has a round shape with thick and sparse thorns, which is a sign of plump flesh. The second thing is to smell the smell. Ripe durians will emit a rich aroma. If you smell something like grass, it means you are pregnant. It means it is not yet ripe. If it smells of alcohol, it means it is overripe and has gone bad. What's more, if you shake it and hear the flesh shaking slightly, it means the flesh is ripe and separated from the shell. This is the best time to enjoy it.
For rare varieties such as Musang King, according to Malaysia's natural picking method of "ripe melons, the stems fall off", the fruits naturally fall off when ripe, and their flavor is the most mellow, which is the core symbol to determine whether it is authentic or not.
Durian nutritional value and consumption precautions
In terms of nutritional value, durian is indeed the king of fruits.
In Guangdong, there is a saying that "one durian is worth three chickens". Literally speaking, one durian can be worth the nutrition of three chickens.
Experts say that the nutrition of durian and chicken is not comparable at all. The popular saying among the people is that the durian and chicken are put together in a far-fetched way, just to highlight the nutritional value of durian. In fact, the so-called "one durian is worth three chickens" is unreliable.
In fact, durian is a fruit with high sugar content and high calories. Therefore, for obese people, eating durian is like adding more disadvantages to an already bad situation.
In addition, durian is also a high-potassium fruit, so patients with kidney disease should eat less of it.
Even so, eating durian in moderation can indeed replenish energy for the body, and its dense and sweet taste can completely make people feel great taste satisfaction.
Durian delicacy and globalization process
Nowadays, you can see desserts made with durian on the menus of many dessert shops, such as durian layer cake, durian pancake, durian cake, etc., which are highly sought after by everyone once they are launched.
However, these delicious durian desserts are rare in Europe and the United States. Many countries have not even sold durian until now. For example, the United Kingdom only allowed the import of durian in 2014, so most Europeans and Americans reject this unique fruit.
In their hearts, the status of durian is the same as that of coriander, rhizome, etc., so there are communities abroad that "hate durian".
Historically, the Portuguese medical scientist García de Horta described the medicinal value of durian in India in his book "Talks on Indian Fragrances" published in 1563. However, Westerners did not pay attention to durian. Instead, they regarded this ugly-looking fruit with an indescribable smell as a sign of the ignorance and backwardness of the local indigenous people, and did not bother to eat it, let alone record it.
In 1854, a British naturalist named Alfred wrote about durian, which focused on describing how dangerous this spiky fruit would be for injuring people. He also mentioned how unbearable the smell of durian seasoning was when the locals used durian to eat.
It can be said that durian is the least popular among Southeast Asian fruits in Europe and the United States.
However, this does not prevent it from becoming the "King of Fruits" in the eyes of Asians, especially the "King of Fruits" in the eyes of Chinese people. Its unique status and unique charm are being recognized and accepted by more and more people with the process of globalization.
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