International Durian Day
International Durian Day is observed Every year on July 9. This day usually denotes the peak production of the tropical season, when this prickly fruit ripens profusely and becomes widely accessible for consumption.[1]
In the 2000s, durian prices skyrocketed, increasing almost thirty times more than they did in the late 1990s when this fruit first became famous in China.[2] Market trends indicated that China's enormous demand at the time could not be satisfied by the supply. Growing in popularity over the next few decades, fresh fruit supply is expected to still fall short of demand despite a strong expansion in durian farms throughout Southeast Asia and even China.
The No. 2 in toilets, being far smellier than any stinky food, is often a source of embarrassment. But few people realize that consuming durians can get rid of this toxic odor in homes, offices and public facilities. This neutralizing effect is effective even with consumption of non-smelling freeze-dried durian pellets. The active agent that neutralizes poo stink is an organic sulphur compound, which also gives the durian its unique strong aroma.
Often an embarrassment, the No. 2 in bathrooms smells far worse than any rotten food. However, not many people know that eating durians can eliminate this foul smell from workplaces, public spaces, and residences.[3] Even when freeze-dried durian pellets that don't smell are consumed, this neutralizing action still works.[4]
History
Southeast Asians have long appreciated durians, and documents from the 16th century suggest that the name of this fruit originated from the Malay word for thorn, duri. Unlike the more widely used pineapple or spices like pepper, durians were repellent to the various Western colonizing powers and were never brought to Europe because of their strong scent.[5][6][7]
While this ‘King of Fruits’ continued to dominate the palate of Southeast Asian locals, there was hardly any global marketing push for the durian until the audacious success by New Zealand with gooseberry, rebranded[8]as kiwifruit.
The kiwifruit success prompted Malaysian authorities to copy its playbook with the D24durian variety, reaching out to the diaspora of Southeast Asian folk to Australia, Hong Kong and Japan, later on to South Korea, Taiwan and eventually China.[9]
Amid this exciting development for durian exports, there had been some lukewarm efforts to have a day dedicated to this ‘King of Fruits’. Malaysian authorities had stated since the 1980s of having a ‘Durian Day’ but it was again the Thais who stole the thunder in 2004 with the short-lived World Durian Festival.[10][11]
The first truly earnest effort to solidify durian’s status as a global wonder was initiated by seasoned Malaysian journalist Francis Nantha Kumar, with the support of his former subeditor colleague Chris Lee Ah Chai. They jointly organized and successfully held the inaugural International Durian Day (IDD9) celebration.[12]
The first IDD9 event was significantly supported by a plethora of public and private sector entities. They are Negeri Sembilan Tourism Board,[13]TNG Digital Sdn Bhd,[14]Durian Kingdom,[15]Hotel Seri Malaysia,[16]Herbal Oasis Farm,[17]Sure Feet Group Sdn Bhd,[18]GiatMara,[19]Rentak Sejuta.[20]
At present, the unofficial durian husk stacked tower record stands at 97-centimeters.[21]
References
- ↑ "International Durian Day – Celebrating the 'King of Fruits' every July 9" (in en-US). 2023-03-21. https://durianday.com/.
- ↑ ltd, Research and Markets. "Fresh Durian Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2023-2028)" (in english). https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/4987110/fresh-durian-market-growth-trends-and.
- ↑ (in en) POO SMELLS BETTER WITH DURIAN, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLNvJkoD9WE, retrieved 2024-01-18
- ↑ Young, Emma (2017-10-09). "How the durian got its sulfuric stench" (in en). Nature News. doi:10.1038/nature.2017.22785. http://www.nature.com/news/how-the-durian-got-its-sulfuric-stench-1.22785.
- ↑ "Western colonialism | Definition, History, Examples, & Effects | Britannica" (in en). 2023-12-18. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Western-colonialism.
- ↑ "The rise, fall, and rise of the status pineapple" (in en-GB). 2020-08-02. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-53432877.
- ↑ "How Black Pepper Won Europe From a Tastier Pepper". https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/long-pepper-better-than-black-pepper.
- ↑ "How the Chinese Gooseberry Became the Kiwifruit" (in en). 2017-02-09. https://time.com/4662293/kiwifruit-chinese-gooseberry-new-zealand-history-fruit/.
- ↑ "Why D24 Has Various Subtypes Including Sultan And XO Durian" (in en-GB). 2020-09-05. https://www.durianed.com/d24-durian.
- ↑ "Chanthaburi Fruit Festival - A Delicious Extravaganza | Holidify". https://www.holidify.com/pages/chanthaburi-fruit-festival-1213.html.
- ↑ Admin, Lindsay (2012-05-16). "Chanthaburi World Durian Festival Overview" (in en-US). https://www.yearofthedurian.com/2012/05/chanthaburi-world-durian-festiva-2.html.
- ↑ "Join us in Port Dickson 6-9 July 2023 – International Durian Day" (in en-US). https://durianday.com/celebrating-the-king-of-fruits-every-july-9/join-us-in-port-dickson-to-mark-international-durian-day-2023/.
- ↑ "Negeri Sembilan Government Official Portal - Main". https://www.ns.gov.my/en/.
- ↑ "Welcome to Touch 'n Go" (in en). https://www.touchngo.com.my/.
- ↑ "晓阳伴手礼品 SUNSHINE KINGDOM – 致力打造大马榴莲特色文化" (in en-US). https://sunshine-kingdom.com/en/.
- ↑ "Hotel Seri Malaysia Port Dickson". https://www.serimalaysia.com.my/my/hotels/detail/www.serimalaysia.com.my.
- ↑ Ernest (2022-04-27). "Herbal Oasis | PD OStrich" (in en-US). https://pdostrich.com/herbal-oasis-4/.
- ↑ "首页 –" (in en-US). https://surefeet.com.my/.
- ↑ "GIATMARA MALAYSIA – Menjadi Pusat Latihan Teknikal dan Vokasional sepanjang hayat yang terunggul dan diiktiraf di peringkat Negara dan Antarabangsa." (in en-US). https://giatmara.edu.my/.
- ↑ "Home | Rentak Sejuta: Southeast Asia's #1 Music News Site". https://1in1m.proboards.com/.
- ↑ Keran (2023-07-13). "Malaysian Attempts Highest Durian Husk Tower | TRP" (in en-US). https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2023/07/13/malaysian-attempts-highest-durian-husk-tower/.
