Where does durian come from? Learn how to choose and store it

Durian is one of the famous tropical fruits. The fruit is the size of a football, with a firm rind and pale yellow, sticky, juicy flesh. It is a fruit of great economic value. Its odor is so strong that people who like it love it intensely, while those who hate it cannot stand the smell for even a second. So where does the “king of fruits” durian come from? How do you choose and store it?

I. The origin of durian

Durian is mainly distributed in Southeast Asia, and its place of origin is Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia. Durian is a typical tropical crop with very high heat requirements: the multi-year average temperature must be above 0 degrees, there must be no frost throughout the year, the accumulated temperature must be greater than 10 degrees Celsius, and the annual rainfall must be above 1000mm for durian to grow normally and smoothly. In China, it is cultivated in small amounts mainly in Guangdong, Taiwan, China and Hainan. It flowers from April to May and the fruit ripens from August to September.

II. How to choose durian

1. Look at and pinch the spikes

Try to choose a durian whose surface is hilly and looks like a spiked club. The more raised hills it has, the more flesh there is; dense spikes mean less flesh, while sparse spikes mean thick flesh. Choose two adjacent spikes, hold their tips with your hand, and gently press them inward toward each other. If they can easily be made to “come close” to each other, it proves the durian is softer and fairly ripe. If it feels very firm and simply cannot be squeezed, it proves the durian is fairly unripe.

2. Look at the shape

The more segments there are, the more flesh there is inside. A large durian is full of moisture and tastes sweet enough. Color determines the taste; the best color is pale yellow-green, golden yellow or earth yellow, neither too dark nor too light. Do not choose green ones, as they are usually unripe. Dark yellow or even brownish ones, although not attractive, are very sweet, but the color must not be too dark; if it has turned black, it is overripe and not good to eat.

3. Smell the odor

Move close to the bottom of the durian and take a sniff. A ripe durian has a rich, fragrant odor, while an unripe durian has an odor similar to freshly cut grass. But if you smell an alcohol-like odor from the durian, it means the durian has already deteriorated and gone bad, so do not buy it.

4. Look at the degree of splitting

When choosing durian, pick one whose shell has already split open, that is, one that has just begun to split. It is best to choose one whose split is not too large, or one with no opening. If the fruit split open long ago, the exposed flesh is likely to be contaminated and is also prone to spoiling. If you pick a fairly ripe durian that has just opened, it is best to enjoy it as soon as you get home and not leave it for a long time, as it spoils easily.

5. Shake the flesh

Pick up the durian and shake it gently. If you feel a slight bumping sensation inside, a sense of separation, it shows that the flesh is ripe and has separated from the shell. Such a durian is already ripe.

6. Look at the fruit stalk

If the fruit stalk looks thick and fresh, it proves it is fresh and full of nutrients. You can press it lightly with a fingernail; if it leaves a mark, it is fairly fresh. If the fruit stalk is small and dry, it means the durian has been stored for a long time.

III. How to store durian

After buying a durian, you can wrap it in several sheets of newspaper or cardboard to keep the fruit spikes from hurting anyone. Durian continues to ripen after harvest, so it should be stored in a cool, shaded place.

A ripe fruit will split open. At this point you can take out the flesh, put it in a fresh-keeping bag and store it in the refrigerator. After chilling it will have the texture of ice cream. With durian, you can open and eat one segment at a time; as long as you do not open the other segments, the rest can still be kept in the refrigerator attached to the shell for a few days, but it should not be stored for long.

If the flesh turns sour, it means the durian has gone bad and is no longer suitable for eating. After the rind is peeled open, the flesh should be eaten completely the same day or frozen for later use; it should not be refrigerated for long storage. As long as you seal the durian tightly in a cling-film bag, it will not transfer odors in the refrigerator.

The above is Tuliu.com's introduction to the origin of durian and how to choose and store fresh durian. Durian is fairly expensive, so when buying it you may wish to refer to the methods in this article to choose it; that way the durian you pick will be both fresh and full of flesh. After buying durian and taking it home, you should also pay attention to the storage method so that the fruit spikes do not hurt anyone.