Stinky durians enjoy online virus boom
PETALING JAYA, Malaysia (AFP) — When a coronavirus lockdown confined Malaysians to their homes, street traders selling durians moved their pungent produce online — and have been enjoying an unexpected spike in demand.
Grown across tropical Southeast Asia, the durian is hailed by aficionados as the “king of fruits” due to its creamy, golden flesh and bittersweet flavor.
But detractors complain of its overpowering smell, comparing it to rotting food or stale vomit, and it is banned in many hotels and on public transport.
The traditional roadside stalls where Malaysians have for decades enjoyed the smelly fruits were, along with most other businesses, forced to close during the lockdown.
Motorbike and car deliveries were still allowed, however, and companies such as Dulai Fruits Enterprise turned to social media to market their frozen durians.
Managing director Eric Chan said he had been skeptical the move would work as Malaysians typically prefer fruit fresh, and a previous bid to sell them online had limited success.
But the company has seen roaring trade, with Chan telling AFP: “By the fifth day of our sales, we (had) hundreds of orders every single day.”
Durians in Malaysia can cost more than 60 ringgit ($14) a kilogram, and there are 137 officially registered varieties ranging from “Musang King” to “Black Thorn” and “Red Prawn.”
Durian trader Top Fruits has been selling prepared durian in sealed, 300-gram (10-ounce) packs on Facebook, and was making about 80 deliveries a day during the lockdown, which began midMarch.
Managing director Tan Sue Sian said customers had come to see the advantages of having the fruit delivered to their door.
“You don’t have to worry about your car being smelly” after transporting the fruit, said Tan.
Online sales of the fruit in Malaysia have since slowed after restrictions were eased at the start of May, as durian lovers gradually returned to outdoor stalls.
Malaysia has seen a relatively small outbreak of COVID-19, recording almost 9,000 cases and 124 deaths.