The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the family Malvaceae (although some taxonomists place Durio in a distinct family, Durionaceae).
Regarded by many people in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, strong odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow as large as 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and it typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species.
The edible flesh emits a distinctive odour that is strong and penetrating even when the husk is intact. Some people regard the durian as pleasantly fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and revolting. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine, raw sewage.. The persistence of its odour has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia.
The durian, native to southeast Asia has been known to the Western world for about 600 years. The nineteenth-century British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace famously described its flesh as "a rich custard highly flavoured with almonds". The flesh can be consumed at various stages of ripeness, and it is used to flavour a wide variety of savoury and sweet edibles in Southeast Asian cuisines. The seeds can also be eaten when cooked.
There are 30 recognised Durio species, at least nine of which produce edible fruit. Durio zibethinus is the only species available in the international market: other species are sold in their local regions. There are hundreds of durian cultivars; many consumers express preferences for specific cultivars, which fetch higher prices in the market.
Durian trees are large, growing to 25–50 metres (80–164 ft) in height depending on the species. The leaves are evergreen, elliptic to oblong and 10–18 centimetres (4–7 in) long. The flowers are produced in three to thirty clusters together on large branches and directly on the trunk with each flower having a calyx (sepals) and five (rarely four or six) petals. Durian trees have one or two flowering and fruiting periods per year, although the timing varies depending on the species, cultivars, and localities. A typical durian tree can bear fruit after four or five years. The durian fruit can hang from any branch and matures roughly three months after pollination. The fruit can grow up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale-yellow to red, depending on the species. Among the thirty known species of Durio, nine of them have been identified as producing edible fruits: D. zibethinus, D. dulcis, D. grandiflorus, D. graveolens, D. kutejensis, D. lowianus, D. macrantha, D. oxleyanus, and D. testudinarum. There are many species for which the fruit has never been collected or properly examined, however, so other species with edible fruit may exist. The durian is somewhat similar in appearance to the jackfruit, an unrelated species.
The name durian comes from the Indonesia and Malaysian word duri (thorn) together with the suffixan (for building a noun in Indonesia and Malaysia). D. zibethinus is the only species commercially cultivated on a large scale and available outside of its native region. Since this species is open-pollinated, it shows considerable diversity in fruit colour and odour, size of flesh and seed, and tree phenology. In the species name, zibethinus refers to the Indian civet, Viverra zibetha. There is disagreement regarding whether this name, bestowed by Linnaeus, refers to civets being so fond of the durian that the fruit was used as bait to entrap them, or to the durian smelling like the civet.
Durian flowers are large and feathery with copious nectar, and give off a heavy, sour, and buttery odour. These features are typical of flowers pollinated by certain species of bats that eat nectar and pollen. According to research conducted in Malaysia in the 1970s, durians were pollinated almost exclusively by cave fruit bats (Eonycteris spelaea), however, a 1996 study indicated two species, D. grandiflorus and D. oblongus, were pollinated by spiderhunters (Nectariniidae) and another species,
D. kutejensis, was pollinated by giant honey bees and birds as well as bats.
Over the centuries, numerous durian cultivars, propagated by vegetative clones, have arisen in southeast Asia. They used to be grown with mixed results from seeds of trees bearing superior quality fruit, but now are propagated by layering, marcotting, or more commonly, by grafting, including bud, veneer, wedge, whip or U-grafting onto seedlings of randomly selected rootstocks. Different cultivars may be distinguished to some extent by variations in the fruit shape, such as the shape of the spines.
Durian consumers express preferences for specific cultivars, which fetch higher prices in the market.
Most cultivars have a common name and a code number starting with "D". For example, some popular clones are Kop (D99 Thai: กบ — "frog" [kòp]), Chanee (D123, Thai: ชะนี — gibbon [tɕʰániː]), Berserah or Green Durian or Tuan Mek Hijau (D145 Thai: ทุเรียนเขียว — Green Durian [tʰúriːən kʰǐow]), Kan Yao (D158, Thai: ก้านยาว — Long Stem [kâːn jaːw]), Mon Thong (D159, Thai: หมอนทอง — Golden Pillow [mɔ̌ːn tʰɔːŋ]), Kradum Thong (Thai: กระดุมทอง — Golden Button [kràdum tʰɔːŋ]), and with no common name, D24 and D169. Each cultivar has a distinct taste and odour. More than 200 cultivars of D. zibethinus exist in Thailand.
Mon thong is the most commercially sought after for its thick, full-bodied creamy and mild sweet tasting flesh with relatively moderate smell emitted and smaller seeds, while Chanee is the best in terms of its resistance to infection by Phytophthora palmivora. Kan Yao is somewhat less common, but prized for its longer window of time when it's both sweet and odorless at the same time. Among all the cultivars in Thailand, five are currently in large-scale commercial cultivation: Chanee, Mon
Thong, Kan Yao, Ruang, and Kradum.There are more than 100 registered cultivars since 1920's in Malaysia and up to 193 cultivar by 1992, and many superior cultivars have been identified through competitions held at the annual Malaysian Agriculture, Horticulture, and Agrotourism Show. In
Vietnam, the same process has been achieved through competitions held by the Southern Fruit Research Institute. A recently popular variety is, Cat Mountain King.
By 2007, Songpol Somsri, a Thai government scientist, had crossbred more than ninety varieties of durian to create Chantaburi No. 1, a cultivar without the characteristic odour. Another hybrid,
Chantaburi No. 3, develops the odour about three days after the fruit is picked, which enables an odourless transport yet satisfies consumers who prefer the pungent odour. On 22 May 2012, two other cultivars from Thailand that also lack the usual odour, Long Laplae and Lin Laplae, were presented to the public by Yothin Samutkhiri, governor of Uttaradit province from where these cultivars were developed locally, while he announced the dates for the yearly durian fair of Laplae District, and the name giver to both cultivars.
Advantage of Durian
Durian, like other tropical fruits such as Banana, avocado, and jackfruit, is rich in energy, minerals and vitamins. 100 g fresh fruit provides 147 calories.
The fruit is made of soft, easily digestible flesh made of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly. Though it contains a relatively high amount of fats among fruits, it is free from saturated fats and cholesterol.
Durian is rich in dietary fiber, which makes it a good bulk laxative. The fiber content helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time and as well as binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon.
The durian fruit is a good source of antioxidant vitamin-C (about 33% of RDA). Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.
The fruit is an excellent source of health benefiting B-complex groups of vitamins; a rare feature among fruits, such as niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential for the body as it requires them from external sources to replenish.
Further, it also contains a good amount of minerals like manganese, copper, iron and magnesium. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Iron is required for red blood cell formation.
Fresh durian fruit is a very rich source of potassium. Potassium is an important electrolyte of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
Additionally, it also contains high levels of essential amino acid, tryptophan (also known as "nature's sleeping pill") which in the body metabolizes into serotonin and melatonin; these neuro-chemicals have important functions like sleep induction and in the treatment of epilepsy.
Durian fruit contains folic acid and iron are high then the durian is believed to overcome anemia.
In addition to folic acid and iron, durian fruit also contain fiber that can solve the problem of constipation, and even skin durian also can expedite the process of defecation by grinding until creamed durian then rub keperut.
Durian fruit is also a source of vitamin C which is useful as a natural antioxidant that can inhibit the aging process of the skin.
In the durian fruit also contains calcium, potassium and B vitamins are very good for healthy bones and joints.
The content of manganese in the durian can keep blood sugar levels stable.
Durian fruit contains Niacin and Thiamin which can be used to increase appetite.
Can help overcome migraines or headaches because durian contains Riboflavin or vitamin B2.
Can reduce stress and depression because in the durian fruit contained pyridoxine.
With a phosphorus content of durian fruit can also help dental health.
Based on this research, durian rind contains high carbon that can be used to make activated carbon useful for industrial use as absorbent (methane gas absorber) and super capacitors for the manufacture of batteries.
Disadvantage of Durian
Although the nutrition value of durian is very high, people should not eat it excessively. The excessive intake of durian can cause the body too hot, and abundant nutrients can not be completely absorbed by the human body. Because of a large amount of sugar, the excessive intake of durian can also worsen the symptoms of the patients with diabetes. Therefore, people should eat durian in a right amount so as to make full use of abundant nutrients contained in durian like calcium and phosphorus.
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