Biosecurity regulations in Australia dictate that any imported durian must be frozen, which means the only fresh durians available in the country come from a handful of farms in northern Australia.
Australia currently allows the import of frozen durian fruit from Thailand. Durian seeds, budwood and bare-rooted seedlings for planting purposes are also allowed under specific phytosanitary conditions from all durian-growing areas.
Due to its overpowering smell, durian has been banned on many types of public transport across Thailand, Japan and Hong Kong. In Singapore, the fruit is banned across all types of public transportation and even taxis have signs to let you know they refuse to carry passengers transporting the smelly fruit.
Origin: Southeast Asia. Distribution: durian is mostly grown in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Australian distribution: durian grows around Darwin in the NT and in north Queensland.
Tropical Primary Products (TPP) is currently Australia's largest durian farm with over 3,000 trees in their Darwin NT orchard since the early 1990s.
Australia currently allows the import of frozen durian fruit from Thailand.
The current retail price of whole durians is AU$18.99 (US$14.00) per kilogram, while peeled durians can sell for as much as AU$25 (US$18.43) per kilogram. Vietnamese Ri6 durians have already made an impression on the Australian market, gaining a reputation for excellent quality.
Singapore. Singapore's obsession with durian is on a whole different level. They have the highest per capita consumption of the fruit, and every year, they import over 22,000 tons of durian from Malaysia. We don't like doing the math, but one thing's for sure: That's a lot!
Undoubtedly, Thailand leads the list of durian production by country. Although some variants are not native to Thailand, durian has quickly become one of the nation's most profitable exports.
The origin of the durian is thought to be in the region of Borneo and Sumatra, with wild trees in the Malay peninsula, and orchards commonly cultivated in a wide region from India to New Guinea.
"It's not illegal to carry durians in a flight as long as it is wrapped properly in accordance with flight regulations [and] carried inside the hold.
The durian is actually quite popular in some Asian cuisines, but its smell is so pungent that almost all airlines won't allow it on board. In fact, most won't even let you bring some in your checked luggage, in case its odour escapes into the cabin.
The saying goes: durian tastes like heaven but smells like hell. The lingering odour has led mass public transportation services, like Singapore's subway system, to outright ban the fruit, while some hotels in Southeast Asia impose fines to cover cleaning fees.
Many dried fruits and vegetables can be imported into Australia, however import conditions apply (for example, some can only be imported with peel and/or seeds removed and some may require an import permit).
Durians are regarded as the 'king of fruits', but many find their smell offensive.
China's home-grown durian is finally expected to hit the market this month, but it could be years before the vast majority of consumers can get their hands on it, and estimates for projected yields have fallen sharply in recent months, according to an expert on tropical fruits.
Wednesday's announcement said the 2014 directive prohibits passengers from carrying anything with a strong smell that could be considered a nuisance by other passengers on public buses. Durians have been labelled 'the world's smelliest fruit”, though many people find their scent enticing.
Most Kanyao durians are planted in Nonthaburi province. Due to the small number of farms cultivating this type, Kanyao durian is known for its high prices and scarcity. It is even rated as “the most expensive durian”, for it was once sold at 1.5 million Thai Baht (≈ 41000 USD).
Of course in addition to its deliciousness, durian is also renowned for its versatility and nutritional value. It's an excellent source of energy, with a 250g serving providing roughly a fifth of your daily carbohydrate needs.
In Southeast Asia, mangosteen is commonly known as the "Queen of Fruit", and is frequently paired with durian, the "King of Fruit".
Nicknamed “the king of fruits,” durian is one of the most popular foods in Southeast Asia. Beloved by millions, it's considered a delicacy. There's only one catch: It's also known as the stinkiest fruit in the world. The durian fruit smell has been compared to garbage, raw sewage and sweaty socks!
Today Musang King durians are considered the most famous Malaysian durian variety and are grown across Malaysia for local and international sale.
Durians in Australia
Can be grown in southern Queensland given a sheltered position. Also, the smell will attract a range of rainforest animals to eat the fruit - so look out if you have Orangutans living nearby…!!