Durian is a very unique tropical fruit.
It is very popular in Southeast Asia, dubbed the "king of fruits."
Durian has high nutrient content, and more than most other fruits.
However, it also caused some controversy because of the smell.
What is durian?
Durian is a type fruits Tropical with large fruit size and hard outer shell.
It smells very heavy, almost like an egg scent with large seeds.
Durian has many types, the most common is probably the type Durio zibethinus .
Durian meat can be colorful. Most are yellow, white or yellowish, but can also turn red or blue.
Durian grows in tropical regions of the world, especially in Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.
An durian fruit can be up to 30 cm long and 15 cm wide. A typical durian has about 473 ml of edible rice.
Summary: Durian is a tropical fruit that grows in Southeast Asian countries. It has a prickly outer shell, has a slightly smelly odor, durian rice may have many colors.
How is durian used?
Durian is used in desserts and savory dishes. Both rice and durian seeds are edible, though the seeds need to be cooked up.
The taste of durian is described as like cheese, almond , garlic and caramel mixed together.
Here are some of the most common types of durian processing:
- Juice
- Seeds - boiled or roasted
- In soup
- Candy, ice cream and other desserts.
- It is a side dish of vegetables
It is also used in traditional medicine and has some medical properties currently under study.
Summary: Durian is eaten in many Southeast Asia, both sweet and savory. It is also used in traditional medicine.
Durian is one of the most nutritious fruits we can eat
Durian has quite high nutrient content compared to most other fruits.
This is the nutrient content of 243 durian grams:
- Calories: 357
- Fat : 13 grams
- Carb: 66 grams
- Fiber: 9 grams
- The protein: 4 grams
- Vitamin C: 80% RDI
- Thiamine (Vitamin B1): 61% RDI
- Argentina: 39% RDI
- Vitamin B6: 38% RDI
- Potassium: 30% RDI
- Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): 29% RDI
- Copper: 25% RDI
- Folic acid: 22% RDI
- Magnesium: 18% RDI
- Niacin : 13% RDI
The nutritional content of durian is really impressive compared to other fruits. It makes durian the most nutritious fruit on earth.
It is also rich in healthy plant compounds, including anthocyanins, carotenoids, polyphenols and flavonoids. These substances have antioxidant functions .
Summary: Durian is a fiber-rich fruit, B vitamins, vitamin C and many other healthy plant compounds.
Durian health benefits
All parts of durian trees - leaves, pods, roots and fruits - have been used in traditional Malaysian medicine to treat a number of diseases such as high fever, jaundice and other skin diseases (2).
Studies also show that durian has many health benefits :
- Reduce cancer risk: Durian antioxidants can neutralize free radicals that cause cancer. In one study, durian extract prevented a spread of breast cancer cell lines.
- Preventing heart disease: Some durian compounds can help reduce cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, or the risk of arterial hardening.
- Anti-infection: Thick crust contains antibacterial and anti-yeast.
- Lower blood sugar: Durian has a lower glycemic content than other tropical fruits, meaning it can make blood sugar lower. It also prevents glucose from being absorbed and stimulates insulin release.
These studies show a lot of promise, many of which have been tested in animals or in laboratories. The health benefits of durian need more research on humans.
Summary: Durian contains many nutrients and plant compounds that can bring some health benefits, including: cancer prevention, heart disease, infection and blood sugar control.
Durian is toxic if combined with alcohol
Eating durian at the same time as drinking alcohol can cause problems .
It is thought that sulfur compounds in durian can prevent certain enzymes from dissolving alcohol, increasing the blood alcohol concentration.
According to some studies, this leads to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, heart palpitations .
For safety, you should avoid eating durian and drinking alcohol at the same time.
Summary: Durian contains many compounds that can prevent alcohol from being metabolized, causing symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
How to eat durian
Basically, you need to cut the shell with a sharp knife and then pry the shell off by hand. After that, gently separate the meat zones.
You can eat that durian rice right away, or use it with sticky rice in some recipes. You can find quite a lot of recipes on
Durian rice can also be frozen, so it will slightly change the structure, making it more loose and flexible.
You can also find durian in pre-processed foods, such as candy. However, it can only give you the taste of durian, not the nutritional value for health.
Summary: You can buy fresh or frozen durian - eat it now or combine it with a few recipes and some other ingredients.
Why does durian smell so bad?
Some ideas are contrary to the smell of durian. Some people really like it, the rest can't smell it.
Durian smell is strong, and is described as a combination of grilled onions, sulfur, sewage, fruit and honey.
One study analyzed durian odor compounds and found 44 active compounds, including compounds that give scents like mink, caramel, broken eggs, fruits, and soup smells .
Because durian smell is so characteristic, it is banned in many hotel rooms and public facilities in Southeast Asian countries.
Your impression of this fruit will depend on whether you smell more aromatic compounds or smells more difficult to smell.
Summary: Durian contains many aroma compounds giving it a quite strong scent. Some people like that smell, some don't.
summary
Durian has extremely high nutrient content. Includes: B vitamins, vitamin C, minerals, plant compounds, beneficial fat, and fiber.
However, the taste of durian is not for everyone.
