Durian – Nutritional Value, Health Benefits

Named in some regions as the “king of fruits”,^[rx] the durian is distinctive for its large size, strong odor, and thorn-covered rind. The fruit can grow as large as 30 centimeters (12 inches) long and 15 cm (6 in) in diameter, and it typically weighs 1 to 3 kilograms (2 to 7 pounds). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the color of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale yellow to red, depending on the species.

Durio dulcis also known as Long, Durian ranging (or merging), Tutong and Red durian is a large tree belonging to the genus Durio that reaches to the height of 40 meters with a bole of 80 cm diameter and large buttresses upto 4 meters high. The bark surface is irregularly flaky or shallowly fissured, rough, and is reddish-brown. Stipules are present but deciduous and fall off early. The leaves are simple, alternate, elliptical, or obovate-elliptical about 7–14 cm × 3.5–6 cm. The husk of the fruit is dark red to brown-red and is covered with slender 15-20 mm long spines. The fruit has thin, dark yellow flesh and has the flavor of deep caramel with a turpentine odor. The fruits are edible and are collected from the wild and sold in local and urban markets. The species is planted barely due to its short fruiting period. The tree is also harvested for its wood.

Culinary uses

• As the pulp is sweet, it is consumed raw or cooked.
• The pulp is fried with onions and chili and served as a side dish in Sabah.
• Seeds are cooked, boiled or roasted.
• It is available in form of chips, candy, cakes, crackers, and even beverages.

Durian fruit is used to flavor a wide variety of sweet edibles such as traditional Malay candy, ice kacang, dodol, lempuk, rose biscuits, ice cream, milkshakes, mooncakes, Yule logs, and cappuccino. Es durian (durian ice cream) is a popular dessert in Indonesia, sold at a street-side stall in Indonesian cities, especially in Java. Pulut Durian or ketan durian is glutinous rice steamed with coconut milk and served with ripened durian. In Sabah, red durian is fried with onions and chilli and served as a side dish.^[61] Red-fleshed durian is traditionally added to sayur, an Indonesian soup made from freshwater fish.^[5] Ikan brengkes tempoyak is fish cooked in a durian-based sauce, traditional in Sumatra. Dried durian flesh can be made into kripik durian (durian chips).

Tempoyak refers to fermented durian, usually made from lower quality durian unsuitable for direct consumption. Tempoyak can be eaten either cooked or uncooked, is normally eaten with rice, and can also be used for making curry. Sambal Tempoyak is a Malay dish made from fermented durian fruit, coconut milk, and a collection of spicy ingredients known as sambal. In the Malay peninsula and Sumatra, Pangasius catfish can be either cooked as tempoyak ikan patin (fish in tempoyak curry) or as brakes (pais) tempoyak, which is a steamed fermented durian paste in a banana leaf container.

In Thailand, durian is often eaten fresh with sweet sticky rice, and blocks of durian paste are sold in the markets, though much of the paste is adulterated with pumpkin. Unripe durians may be cooked as a vegetable, except in the Philippines, where all uses are sweet rather than savory. Malaysians make both sugared and salted preserves from durian. When durian is minced with salt, onions, and vinegar, it is called a border. The durian seeds, which are the size of chestnuts, can be eaten whether they are boiled, roasted, or fried in coconut oil, with a texture that is similar to taro or yam, but stickier. In Java, the seeds are sliced thin and cooked with sugar as a confection. Uncooked durian seeds are potentially toxic due to cyclopropene fatty acids and should not be ingested.

Young leaves and shoots of the durian are occasionally cooked as greens. Sometimes the ash of the burned rind is added to special cakes. The petals of durian flowers are eaten in the North Sumatra province of Indonesia and Sarawak of Malaysia, while in the Moluccas islands the husk of the durian fruit is used as fuel to smoke fish. The nectar and pollen of the durian flower that honeybees collect is an important honey source, but the characteristics of the honey are unknown.^[rx]

Other facts

• The tree has pink-brown heartwood.
• Wood is used in interior construction and for making cheap furniture and packing cases.

References