Malaysia, one of the world's biggest producers of the spiky, smelly durian, is expected to profit from growing the fruit. Hopes for a boom were triggered after China has opened its market for imports of durian.
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00:00Harvesting time in Malaysia's prime durian region.
00:05It's three in the morning, the perfect hour to harvest the queen of fruits.
00:12Workers on Penang Island have only a short window before the durians begin to drop again.
00:19Tanshi Kit, the third generation manager of this farm, is ready for the rush.
00:25Time is precious for us. It's limited for us because durians don't wait.
00:30When they drop, they don't wait. They want to drop and then they drop 24 hours.
00:35And then this is unlucky. If we hit on the stones, they will wreck.
00:42Penang offers the perfect growing conditions for durian.
00:45Over 220 varieties of the prized fruit thrive in the island's salty air.
00:52Durian has become a significant attraction for tourists, especially those from China,
00:57who are drawn to its unique and varied aroma, particularly one famous variety.
01:13When Tan's family first started growing durians,
01:16no one imagined that the farm would eventually produce 20 metric tons a day,
01:21with half of that exported to China.
01:25Frozen or fresh, the Chinese are hungry for the Malaysian durian.
01:29While Malaysia only accounts for about 10% of global exports,
01:33its focus on high-quality, premium-priced durians has positioned it
01:38as a key player in the lucrative durian market.
01:42Forty years plus, I started the business.
01:46I also do now, now so good the price, because China take a lot of durians.
01:54Traceability is key for Chinese trade partners to ensure the fruit is free of disease.
02:00The farm carefully tracks which tree each durian comes from.
02:06Although property developers are eager to acquire the land,
02:10Tan remains committed to the farm.
02:32Malaysians take great pride in their durians,
02:34insisting the fruit only stinks if it's overripe or of poor quality.
02:39Tan compares tasting durian to a wine tasting,
02:42recommending beginners start with a lighter, creamier variety.
02:46Just have a bite?
02:47Just have a bite, and then this couldn't suck yet.
02:50You need to bite the whole flesh.
02:58That's nice.
02:59Yeah, a little bit creamy and then mild taste.
03:04And then the sweetness is not so strong.
03:06Tan Chee Kit has big plans for the future of the farm.
03:10He's working on breeding new varieties of durian,
03:13has planted thousands of new trees
03:15and hopes to make the farm fully organic using fruit shell remains as fertilizer.
03:21There are also plans to open the orchard to tourists
03:24who might wake up to the sound of falling fruit.
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