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Chinese appetite grows for Malaysia’s ‘designer durians’
- Premium varieties such as Sultan and Musang King have a reputation for quality and are sought after by buyers who view them as ‘designer durians’
- ‘Less than 10 per cent of China’s population has ever tasted Malaysian durians,’ says the Southeast nation’s largest durian supplier
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Malaysian durians have topped fruit and vegetable presales at a big Chinese retail festival, showing the pulling power of the pungent delicacy.
The top-selling variety at JD.com’s 618 festival – China’s second-largest shopping event after Alibaba’s Singles’ Day – was the Sultan durian from Pahang state, according to local media that cited data from the e-commerce giant. Sales have even exceeded that of ice cream and peaches.
With its creamy custard-like flesh and powerful odour, the thorny fruit has surged in popularity in China. Imports of fresh durians quadrupled to US$2.3 billion last year from 2017, according to United Nations data, and they overtook cherries to become the country’s No. 1 fruit import by value in 2019.
Though “DurioTourism” – where Chinese tourists visit Malaysian farms – is currently at a halt due to travel restrictions, durian diplomacy is still going strong.
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MAPC Sdn Bhd, Malaysia’s largest durian supplier that exports about 90 per cent of its fruit to China, has set up seven centres to promote the Musang King variety in second- and third-tier Chinese cities over the past year.
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Malaysia’s durian trade hit by coronavirus pandemic as lockdown slows local sales
Malaysia’s durian trade hit by coronavirus pandemic as lockdown slows local sales
It will add another 15 this year to lure more consumers with free samples, said Sam Tan, the company’s executive director who is also the president of the Malaysia Durian Exporters Association.
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