About Durian Fruit
Durian is the name of the tree and the fruit. Durian is an expensive and exotic fruit from Asia and is referred to as “The king of all fruits”. The name is derived from the Malay word “duri” meaning thorn - due to its thick, tough and thorny husk. The durian fruit is either loved by durian aficionados with an almost cult like fervor or hated by those repelled by it’s smell. The rich, buttery smooth and luscious flesh of the durian fruit is delicious and is comparable to no other fruit. However, the disagreeable odor of the durian fruit gave birth to this often repeated phrase: “durian is a fruit that smells like hell but taste like heaven”. While almost everyone who has tasted the durian fruit agrees the taste is heavenly, no two ever describes the taste the same.
Durian belongs to the Bombacaceae family and is native of south and east Asia and is grown in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, southern Philippines and other Asian countries. It is believed to have originated in Borneo and Sumatra. The durian tree grows up to 50 meters high with oblong evergreen leaves 10 to 20 centimeters long and bears fruits after 4 to 5 years. The durian tree can live for centuries if not damaged by lightning, disease, soil erosion or other factors.
The fruit can grow from 20 to 40 centimeters (average size is comparable to a soccer ball) and weigh from 1 to 8 kilograms upon maturity which takes about 3 months after pollination of the flowers. There are hundreds of known cultivars of the durian but the Durio zibethinus is the specie most widely cultivated and sold commercially. The fruit bearing season of durian is from May to October.
