BEIJING: In less than 24 hours, Chinese consumers eagerly purchased the first batch of fresh Malaysian durians exported to China.
A total of 40 tonnes were put on sale from Aug 26 at selected retail outlets across six regions in the People's Republic.
Malaysia's Ambassador to China, Datuk Norman Muhamad, noted the durian's freshness and high quality, which saw the king of fruits warmly welcomed by Chinese consumers at every outlet.
"Indeed, all the durians were sold out on the very first day during the launch ceremony on Aug 26. Even before I left the ceremony, the available durians were all sold out," he shared with Bernama.
In August, Malaysia exported premium-quality fresh durians, such as Musang King, Black Thorn, and D24, to Beijing, Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Nanning.
Norman said the government plans to establish more cargo flights between Malaysia and China to facilitate fresh durian imports.
"We do have proposals to increase this, and our traders will indeed seize the opportunity to market fresh durian. However, fresh durian is a bit complicated to handle as it must be sold within 36 hours to maintain its quality," he explained.
Chinese durian enthusiasts appreciate the thick, fleshy texture and creamy taste of Malaysian durians, making each experience memorable.
Chen Jingyi, 26, expressed her delight at the Malaysian government's efforts to export fresh durian to China, rekindling memories of her family's visit to Malaysia where she first tasted the fruit.
"When I travelled with my family to Kuala Lumpur, we tried fresh Musang King. It tasted really good and different from the durian available here in China," she said, noting the difference in quality and taste compared to frozen durian.
Though fresh durian can be expensive, Chen believes it is worth the cost due to its superior taste and quality.
Private worker Wang Yiming compared the taste of fresh Malaysian durian to ice cream, expressing excitement over Malaysia's initiative to export the fruit to Beijing.
"Durian is popular in Beijing and is easy to find in supermarkets, but it's often not fresh. Malaysia's initiative to export fresh durian here is the right step, leading to impressive sales," she remarked.
Student Almasbiek Mamut, 21, fell in love with durian upon tasting the fresh version, finding it vastly different from the frozen kind.
"I am very fond of fresh durian. It's one of my favourite fruits now. The flesh is incredibly smooth and custard-like, providing a satisfying experience unmatched by other fruits," he shared.
Almasbiek looks forward to visiting Malaysia to taste real fresh durian, feeling lucky to have purchased it in China. – Bernama
