Durian on pizza, in curry, quiche and chicken soup – chefs in Hong Kong serve pungent ‘king of fruits’ in savoury dishes
- With its distinctive aroma and custard-like texture, durian flesh often features in desserts in Asia, but lately it has found new uses in savoury dishes
- Chefs at Hotel Icon add it to Chinese classics, those at W Hotel add it to Western cuisine staples and Kerry Hotel cooks beggar’s chicken in durian shells
Durian has been described as the most dreadful-smelling fruit in the world. Its aroma has been compared to rotting flesh, raw sewage and rubbish dumps.
The smell is so noxious that the spiky-skinned, custard-like fruit is banned from public places in its native Singapore and Malaysia, as well as in many Hong Kong hotels.
Studies have shown the odour of durian comes from a chemical compound called ethanethiol, but it isn’t clear how it is produced in the fruit. A new study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, finds that as a durian ripens, its ethionine content increases, resulting in a stronger smell.
Durian is considered a rich source of the vitamin B complex, vitamin C, dietary fibre, potassium and iron. It is also purported to have anti-ageing, antidepressant and cancer-prevention properties, as well as being high in antioxidants and with the ability to maintain blood sugar levels.
When the team cut open a lot of fresh durian, the fruit shell was simply thrown away. I thought to myself, maybe it can be used to create a new dish
These health benefits could be fuelling rising demand in China for its pungent flesh. In 2021, China imported US$4.2 billion worth of durian, or 821,500 tonnes. According to the country’s General Administration of Customs, that’s a 42.7 per cent increase on 2020.