KLL-Aug19

The Origins
of Durian
From Farm to Table
BY HIRANMAYII AWLI MOHANAN
You either love it, or you hate it – so is the nature of durian.
Many of us enjoy the fruit but don’t necessarily know the
labour and science that go into planting and harvesting
durian. Deemed as the king of fruits, the durian requires
meticulous planning and execution for a bountiful and
quality yield at the end of the harvest.
FAVOURED CONDITIONS
Evidently, due to our tropical
climate, durian thrives here and in
our surrounding neighbours such as
Thailand and the Philippines. Here’s
some technical tip should you want to
grow durians – durian gets comfortable
in the temperature range of 25oC to
30oC, with 80% relative humidity. It
needs rainfall of between 1,500-2,000
mm per annum. Meanwhile, the ideal
elevation rate from sea level is 800m
and elevations higher than 800 m
produce trees which bear foliage
rather than fruit, have a longer
juvenile stage, and are more
susceptible to disease. The
soil in which durian is
planted is required to
be deep, loamy and
well-drained with high
organic matter content.
The PH balance is
everything; the soil pH
should be between
5.5 to 6.5.
INDICES OF
MATURITY
Immature fruits have
inferior eating quality
– they lack the aroma
and flavour, and may
not ripen normally. A
sign of maturity can
be characterised by an
audible hollow sound when
tapped while a slight, but
distinct aroma is exuded by
the fruit. The maturity of fruit
happens 90-130 days after
flower opening.
HARVESTING METHOD
Fruits from large trees are usually not
picked or harvested, but are allowed
to drop naturally when ripe. However,
recently-established orchards have planted
improved varieties, in which the durians
have a thin pericarp. So, these durians
require the grower to climb the tree to
select mature fruits, using the maturity
indices mentioned above. The harvested
fruit should be held at the peduncle, placed
in a bamboo basket tied with a rope. It is
then lowered to the ground and transferred
to a container for transport to the sorting
shed. The fruit should not come into contact
with the soil, to avoid soil-borne infections.
Finally, the creamy delicious king of fruits is
ready to be savoured.
FIX YOUR DURIAN CRAVINGS HERE:
1. Durian SS2
Just mention durian and many would refer
you to SS2 – a durian paradise featuring
more than 10 different sorts of durians.
Given the scorching heat during the day,
we highly recommend indulging in their
durian cendol to cool down.
2. Inside Scoop
This time, durian takes form of an ice
cream at Inside Scoop – another haven for
aficionados to satiate their cravings. This
ice cream parlour has concocted a D24-
flavoured ice cream, a scoop of delight
that emits creaminess and opulence, such
as the fruit. Pair the durian ice cream with
Inside Scoop’s famous charcoal waffles to
go the extra mile.
3. Le Bread Days
We have seen many renditions of the king
of fruits – ice cream, cake, tart, etc. That
said, have you tried durian croissants at Le
Bread Days? Known primarily for its salted
egg yolk croissant, which is only rivalled
by its durian croissant – a creamy, potent
filling enclosed within a fluffy croissant.
Hop over to fulfil your durian dose.
LISTINGS OF CITROEN
SHOWROOMS
& SERVICE CENTRE
NAZA EURO MOTORS HQ
(GLENMARIE)
NEM Glenmarie Showroom(1S) No
15, Jalan Pelukis U1/46 Seksyen U1,
Glenmarie 40150 Shah Alam Selangor
www.citroen.com.my
Sales : 03-5566 3685
NAZA EURO MOTORS (PUCHONG)
Lot No. 18, 19 & 20GF, IOI BUSINESS
PARK, Persiaran Puchong Jaya
Selatan, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47170
Puchong, Selangor
Sales : 03-8076 1788
4. Bijan Bar & Restaurant Fine Malay
Cuisine
Have you ever pictured the matrimony of
chocolate and durian? Well, Bijan Bar and
Restaurant Fine Malay Cuisine has and
materialised it in the form of a chocolate
durian cake. Sandwiched between layers
of chocolate sponge cakes are quality,
D24 durian, blanketed by chocolate
ganache. If chocolate doesn’t float your
boat, opt for their durian cheesecake
instead – equally sinful and delectable.
SING HUAT PREMIUM SDN BHD
No. 11, Jalan Satu, Off Jalan Chan
Sow Lin, Sungai Besi, Wilayah
Persekutuan, 55200 Kuala Lumpur
Sales : +60 3-9222 9126
CITROEN SERVICE CENTRE
NAZA EURO MOTORS SDN BHD
(PUCHONG 2S)
No: 10, Jln Serindit 3, Bandar Puchong
Jaya, 47170, Puchong, Selangor
After sales - 03-5891 1310
44 l KL LIFESTYLE