China’s much-anticipated first major durian harvest recently took place and the Post’s Shea Driscoll got his hands on one, but was left unimpressed with its taste, texture and smell.
Tropical Hainan province’s first major durian harvest reflects challenges facing Chinese growers as they rush to cash in on surging domestic demand, and large-scale cultivation is still years away.
Only about 50 tonnes of durian are now expected be produced in Hainan this year – far less than earlier estimates and nowhere close to the roughly 1 million tonnes that China will consume this year.
Durian has rapidly become the most popular imported fruit in China, and cities bordering Vietnam are stepping up logistics to ensure that fresh supplies can reach any Chinese city in just 1-3 days.
Chinese consumers are enjoying unprecedented access to the pungent Southeast Asian delicacy, but the emergence of ‘durian diplomacy’ has raised concerns that it could backfire for some Asean countries.