Durian

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Durian

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Order: Malvales

Family: Bombacaceae

Genus: Durio

Binomial name

Durio zibethinus

Durio kutejensis

Durio oxlevanus

Durio graveolens

Durio dulcis

Table of contents

1 Fruit
2 Availability
3 Restrictions
4 Selection
5 Opening
6 External links

Fruit

The Durian is a type of tropical fruit tree predominantly found in Southeast Asia. The fruit is green to brown, oblong to round, prickly with strong sharp thorns and emits a strong, distinctive smell, that for some people is offensive-smelling.

Many people regard the durian to be a very tasty fruit; it is often called the "king of fruits" by locals. Some Westerners have described the fruit as "like eating custard in a public lavatory."

The durian tree grows up to 40 meters in height and durians can hang from any branches, and a typical durian can weigh 1 to 2 kg, so a durian plantation during durian season is hardhat territory. A durian falling on a person's head can cause serious injuries.

The scientific name for the durian of commerce is Durio zibethinus. Other edible durian species are sometimes available in the local markets of Southeast Asia. The scientific name of other species are Durio kutejensis, Durio oxlevanus, Durio graveolens, and Durio dulcis.

There are many clones of the durian, all having a name starting with "D" and a number. For example, some popular clones are D24, D99, D158 and D159 (this is the "Mon Thong" variety). Since the durian is the topic of study in certain agricultural institutions, certain commercialized strains are given a D number to distinguish them from "standard" wild varieties.

Availability

The durian is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, although it can grow in any similar climate. The center of ecologic diversity for durians is the island of Borneo. Thailand is a major exporter of durians. Other places where durians are grown include Mindanao in the Philippines, Queensland in Australia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, India, and Sri Lanka.

In the Philippines, the center of durian production is Davao Region in Mindanao. The Kadayawan festival is an annual celebration featuring the durian in Davao City.

Durians forbidden sign in Malaysia

Restrictions

Because the fruit's odour is offensive to some people, it is forbidden to bring durians as hand luggage on to aircraft belonging to some airlines, to carry them on the Singapore public transit system, or to store or eat them in many hotels.

Selection

Every regular eater of the durian has their own way of selecting the best fruit from a given pile. Many of these methods are handed down in hushed whispers with every punter thinking his method ensures selection of the best fruit. In the past this was important. Durian is a seasonal fruit which used to be harvested once a year. These days it is harvested about twice a year and hence the supply has increased. Due to increased supply the retailers have become more competitive in their approach.

Selecting the right fruit was very important when retailers sold the fruit "as is" without dissection. Today it is common for resellers to dissect the fruit and sell the edible parts inside. As such the visibility of the edible part has made selection techniques lessen in importance.

Selection of durians in the farm is easy. Fruit from the same tree will generally have the same properties. Generally fruit in the farm is allowed to ripen and fall from the tree so ripeness of the fruit should not be a matter of concern.

Selection of fruit outside of a farm setting is slightly more tricky. The following are some of the basic selection methods used:

1) Generally the freshness of a fruit can be ascertained from the stalk. Once a fruit has been removed from the tree the stalk starts to dry off. Unscrupulous merchants may seek to wrap or paint the stalk to prevent easy detection. Less savvy merchants may even remove the stalks.

2) Most punters enjoy the fruit where the pulp is dry and mature. An easy way to tell if the pulp is dry without opening the fruit is to shake the fruit and feel for a little bit of rattling. Moist pulp sticks to the inside of the fruit. Dry pulp tends to be separated from the inside walls of the fruit. Care must be taken that one is not injured by the thorns of the fruit in this operation.

3) Durian may be attacked by pests which lay worms in the fruit. It is important in purchasing whole fruit to avoid buying fruit which has any holes in it since these often indicate the entry of worms into the fruit.

Opening

The fruit can be opened by careful study and with commonly available tools. Inspection of the outside of the fruit will reveal "lines" along the surface where the thorns grow in straight rows as opposed to the seemingly random distribution on the rest of the surface. In general it is possible to find up to 5 lines along the surface.

If the stalk is thought to be the upper surface of the durian then turn it upside down and the lines should converge at a point somewhere near the bottom of the fruit. Gently poke a sharp object into this point. Generally objects such as awls, the corner of a meat cleaver or even a screwdriver serve well. Then slide the sharp object along the "line" which was previously identified. It may be a good idea to have a glove or a thick rag to secure the durian with the other hand while attempting this task. A moving durian may seem like an opportunity for comedy but being poked is a real risk.

Once the fruit has been separated into two parts then the flesh inside may be consumed. The parts can be segmented further by using the base of the palms to push on the rim on opposite sides. It may help to make a small tear along the central axis before this is attempted.