Durian Fruit Facts

Durian, an exotic fruit native to Malayasia and Indonesia is considered to be the 'king of all fruits' in South East Asia. It is believed to have originated in Borneo and Sumatra, and today besides Malaysia it is also found growing in Thailand, Southeren Philippines, New Guinea, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and other Asian countries. Today, Thailand exports more Durian than any other country. Durian has been relished in Southeastern Asia since prehistoric times, however, they have been known to the Western part of the globe for only the past 600 years. Durian is a part of the Bombacaceae family, and this term 'Durian' is common for the tree as well as the fruit. Durian fruit facts are intriguing and quite amusing as well.

Durian Fruit Facts

• The term 'Durian' has been derived from the Malay word 'duri' which means thorn. This is because the fruit features a tough, thick, thorny husk that bears semblance to the husk of a jackfruit.
• Durian tree is characterized by the 10-20 centimeters of highly fragrant oblong green leaves. The tree grows up to a height of 50 meters and has long life and can live for centuries, if it is not plagued by disease or damaged by soil erosion, lightening, etc. The highest quality of Durian fruit is attained from the oldest Durian trees.
• The Durian tree bears fruit after 4-5 years, and the fruit bearing season is from May to October. Of the hundreds of known cultivars, the Durio zibethinus is the most widely cultivated species for commercial sale.
• Durian propagation can be carried out either by seed or grafting technique. Grafted trees begin to bear fruit within 4-5 years, however, seedlings take more than 15 years to bear fruit. The seeds when used for propagation have to be planted fresh, as they dry out and lose their viability as time progresses. Read more on grafting fruit trees.
• Durian fruit can weigh somewhere around 7 pounds, and can grown to a size of 12 inches in length and 6 inches in diameter. The fruit bears semblance to a spiky football and appears dangerous to touch. The outer covering is brownish green in color.
• The tough, spiky shell of the Durian splits into 5 segments on ripening, thereby revealing a creamy whitish, pinkish or yellowish aril surrounding the large seeds. This aril is the edible part of the fruit.
• Reviews about the Durian fruit are contrasting. There are some who simply love Durians, while some simply hate them. This love-hate game has been spearheaded by the taste and smell of the fruit. One amusing and interesting Durian fruit fact is that it is considered to 'taste like heaven and smell like hell'.
• Another riveting Durian fruit fact is that there is no other fruit that is loved and hated so much by people at the same time. An example of this is in Singapore, where people hate it so much that the law prohibits passengers from boarding the Mass Rapid Transit line if they are carrying a Durian. On the other hand, Singapore also houses some of the Durian fanatics, which spearheaded the inspiration to build 'Esplanade 4', a high tech building in the city.
• What does Durian fruit smell like? - that it causes some people to have a repulsive feel towards it. The odor of the fruit is offensive smelling like garlic or onion to some extent. Moreover, the stink is similar to that of stinky feet. The stench is also described to be like 'month old unwashed gym socks'. This characteristic disagreeable odor has caused it to be banned from public places like hotels, airplanes and buses.
• What does a Durian fruit taste like that lures people towards it despite its stench. Durian is an acquired taste and is described differently by different people. Some folks say it tastes like a cross between white chocolate and onions. When the famous British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace tasted his first Durian in the 19th century his comment about its taste was: "A rich, butter-like custard highly flavored with almonds, but intermingled with wafts of flavor that call to mind cream cheese, onion sauce, brown sherry and other incongruities. The more you eat of it, the less you feel inclined to stop." Once people learn to discern the depth of the fruit's flavor they soon become fans of this fruit.
• The Durian fruit has an interesting tale that accompanies its polarizing attributes. The tale talks about an old, ugly king who although powerful, was unable to win the love of his young bride who constantly refused him. He consulted a hermit, who asked for three peculiar ingredients, which when mixed together lead to the growth of the Durian tree. As soon as the bride ate it, she was charmed by the king. However, the king forgot to invite the hermit for the later celebrations, which conduced the hermit to curse the fruit borne by the tree. He replaced the aromatic fragrance by rotten odor and replaced the smooth surface by thorny humps.
• Harvesting the fruit involves waiting for the fruit to fall down from the tree and then allowing it to ripen for the next 2-4 days before consuming it. This is the time when the fruit will be the most pungent and tasty. However, preserving the fruit beyond 5 days causes the fruit to lose its eating quality. Southern Thailand is an exception to this, where the fruit is harvested before falling off the tree.
• While selecting a Durian from the market, one needs to go for the lightest fruit of the pile. Durians with big, fresh, solid stems are the best. On shaking the fruit, a rattling sound should be conduced by the seeds moving inside. This indicates the ripeness. Moreover, the thorns should be strong and stiff, not brittle. On goring the Durian, it should emerge sticky. Holes on the Durian indicated worm infestation.
• The gross odor triggers the question 'is Durian fruit healthy?' Durian fruit nutritional values are on the higher side, which is why some consume it even if they dislike its foul odor. Durian fruit health benefits include application of juice obtained from the Durian leaves applied on heads of people suffering from fever. The fruit is a good source of carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber and energy. Durian fruit lacks cholesterol. Some of the other Durian fruit benefits are their high iron content that helps get rid of yeast infections such as thrush. It is also rich in nutrients like Vitamin B, C and E, as well as with amino acids.

Some other interesting, facetious Durian fruit facts are:

• Never burp after devouring on a Durian. The consequences are ghastly!
• Never combine Durian with carbonated drinks. This choice will leave you sorry!
• Never leave the Durian in the car on a hot summer's day or even in a hotel room. The stench will take the wind out of your sails.
• Never kiss your better half after consuming a Durian. You will end up on your rear or even a break-up.
• Durian should not be left uncovered in the fridge. Or else, the entire stuff in the fridge will smell like Durian and you will have only smelly food for dinner.

Fresh Durians are quite expensive. A cheaper alternative would be to purchase frozen Durian. One can eat the fruit as it is or incorporate it into different Durian fruit recipes. The other Durian fruit uses are Durian flavored ice-creams, candies, cookies and other confectioneries. They are also added to prepare various sauces and relishes. Durian fruit seeds are also consumed after boiling, frying or roasting. The unripe fruit is cooked and consumed in the form of a vegetable. Durian is certainly an amazing fruit, to be able to conduce such polarized views of itself. As of today, there are no known Durian fruit side effects. However, the combination of Durian fruit and alcohol can trigger side effects such as strong gastro spasms and explosive flatulence.