September is a great time of year no matter where you are – whether you’re enjoying the end of a long summer, getting ready for the winter to be over, or chowing down at the height of durian season! There’s always a lot of durian and durian goings-on in September, thanks to it being the end of the season in three places and the beginning of the season in another, but durian continues to make headlines all around the world, too. Here’s the September run down of Durian in the News.
First, we wish to give our condolences to the family of a Penang durian farmer and his wife who were murdered during a robbery of their durian farm. I know many durian farmers on Penang, and when I first read the headline I had to hold my breath, hoping that it wasn’t Mr. Lim or one of our other contacts.
I was relieved that it wasn’t someone I personally knew, although it was frightening to imagine this happening in one of my favorite durian zones. The elderly couple had a 2.8 hectare durian farm in Balik Pulau.
Read more at The Sun Daily
On a much lighter note, the first shipment of fresh Malaysian durian in Sydney caused a panic when in the Central Business District downtown when a group of researchers at the Malaysian consulate decided to test the new product. The odor wafted into the office complex next door, where Australian workers became concerned about a gas link and contacted emergency services. Too funny.
Read more at the New Straits Times
Here’s more amusing durian news: Leave it to China to really show Asia how to utilize durian in cuisine. First durian pizza, and now durian noodles. The creation of a noodle maker near Nanjing University, which mixes durian flesh with vegetables and other spices, is now the most popular dish in the area. No surprise there – anything with durian has got to be good, right?
Read more at: The Star
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| Nanjing Durian Noodles – image from The Star |
On an exciting note, the Philippines shipped their first batch of durian to Singapore this month, extending the durian season in Singapore and introducing some exciting new varieties like Puyat and Arancillo. What this means is that the Philippines now has the facilities to flash freeze durian and process it for export. Who knows where it will show up next?
Read more at Business World
Durian continues to grow in popularity in China, as evidenced by a durian festival held this month not in Southeast Asia – but in Beijing, China! According to the opening presenter, durian is so beloved even by the government officials that President Xi can tell the difference between different varieties. I wonder if he reads this site?
Read more at Women of China News
Did I miss any durian news this month? Please comment below!
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