Though notorious for its pungent odor, the nutritious fruit has garnered quite a following in China, with some shops coming up with innovative culinary dishes incorporating durian’s creamy flesh such as durian hot pot, durian pizza, durian milk crepes and durian cake.
MANILA, Philippines – Fresh Durian from the Philippines will soon be making its way into the Chinese market — the biggest importer of Durian — to meet high demand.
According to Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian, a team of experts organized by the Chinese Embassy “successfully completed” a risk assessment of Davao’s orchard harvesting, fruit packaging, pest monitoring, chemical control, Covid-19 prevention, and traceability system.
“It is expected that fresh durian from Davao will be permitted for import into China as soon as this year,” Huang said.
“Durian from Davao region is high in quality and good in taste. It is expected to win the hearts of Chinese durian lovers,” he added.
Davao region accounts for 78% of the total produce of the strong-smelling fruit in 2020, according to Abel James Monteagudo, Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture.
“As one of the most lucrative agricultural products, the entry of high-quality fresh durian from the Philippines into China with a population of 1.4 billion will benefit hundreds of thousands of Philippine fruit farmers and greatly increase the income of local growers in the Mindanao area,” said the ambassador.