DURIAN

The durian is a perfectly unique tropical fruit which has no comparison. You can't compare it to the soursop or jackfruit although both fruits have similar shape, size and husk colour to the durian. Durian is exquisite. There is no fruit in the world you can compare it to. The durian is totally unique with its thorny husk and smooth and creamy yellow flesh, strongly exotic taste, and sharply aromatic smell. However, the durian is often referred to as a controversial fruit.

Origin of The Word "Durian"

What is a durian? The name durian comes from the Malay word duri (which mean thorn). Add the suffix -an and you have a noun in Malay. The word durian usually refers to the fruit but it can also mean the durian flesh (or arils) that we eat. The durian fruit has a thick fibrous husk, covered by sharp spines or thorns. The flesh or pulp is creamy, white, yellow or golden yellow which is strongly flavored and sharply aromatic.

Durian Season In West Malaysia

West Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia) has two fruiting seasons because durian is grown in different localities affected by either the northeast or south-west monsoon or both. The durian growing areas in West Malaysia can be divided into 3 regions influenced by the monsoons and the change from wet to dry weather and the effect of a dry spell.

Durian Season In East Malaysia

East Malaysias (Sarawak and Sabah) main durian season straddles across June through August and Sabah has a small one in NovemberDecember. Both states do not export their crop as they are mainly consumed locally.

Nutritional and medicinal

Durian fruit contains a high amount of sugar, vitamin C, potassium, and the serotonergic amino acid tryptophan, and is a good source of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It is recommended as a good source of raw fats by several raw food advocates, while others classify it as a high-glycemic food, recommending to minimise its consumption. In Malaysia, a decoction of the leaves and roots used to be prescribed as an antipyretic. The leaf juice is applied on the head of a fever patient. The most complete description of the medicinal use of the durian as remedies for fevers is a Malay prescription, collected by Burkill and Haniff in 1930. It instructs the reader to boil the roots of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis with the roots of Durio zibethinus, Nephelium longan, Nephelium mutabile and Artocarpus integrifolia, and drink the decoction or use it as a poultice. In the 1920s, Durian Fruit Products, Inc., of New York City launched a product called "Dur-India" as a health food supplement, selling atUS$9 for a dozen bottles, each containing 63 tablets. The tablets allegedly contained durian and a species of the genus Allium from India and vitamin E. The company promoted the supplement saying that it provides "more concentrated healthful energy in food form than any other product the world affords".

Nutritional
Durian (Durio zibethinus)
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy

615 kJ (147 kcal)

Carbohydrates

27.09 g

- Dietary fiber

3.8 g

Fat

5.33 g

Protein

1.47 g

Water

65g

Vitamin C

19.7 mg (24%)

Potassium

436 mg (9%)

Edible parts only, raw or frozen. Refuse: 68% (Shell and seeds) Source: USDA Nutrient database[51] Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.

Durian Ice Cream

While durian is not native to China, both China and Hong Kong are major import markets for this distinctive looking fruit. The sweet flavor and thick texture of durian makes it perfect for ice cream. Use fresh durian if possible. Ingredients: 4 to 6 segments fresh, frozen or canned durian, as needed to make 4 ounces durian paste 2 large egg yolks 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste 1 teaspoon vanilla essence 1 cup light cream 1 cup whole milk Preparation: Remove the seeds from the durian. Use an electric mixer to mix the flesh into a paste. Press the paste through a fine sieve. You should have 4 ounces durian paste at this point. (If not, use more durian). Chill the durian paste until ready to use. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla essence and sugar. Bring the milk and cream to a near boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the egg mixture, stirring constantly to thicken. Take care not to let the mixture boil, or the milk will curdle (if you see bubbles forming at the edge of the saucepan, take it off the stove element). Allow the custard to cool. Chill the custard in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes, until it is just beginning to harden. Gradually stir in the durian paste, a tablespoon at a time. Either continue freezing, stirring several times throughout, or finish the ice cream in an ice cream maker.

MANGOSTEEN
The queen of tropical fruits, mangosteen, is cute and round, and is about the size of a lawn tennis ball. Its Malay name is manggis, and how did it get its English name "mango's teen" is a real puzzle for it is not related to mango in any way. Its black or dark brownish skin is smooth and thick providing protection to the delicate flesh inside. It is easy to open a mangosteen, just remove the short stubby stalk on top,then place the fruit between your palms and press gently, then use your fingers to press until the cracked thick skin break into two. The fleshy seeds will be exposed, use a spoon or toth pick to remove the mangosteen flesh from the skin and eat it. But we usually use our index fingers, hmm..."fingers licking good" again! You may wonder why should we dig the flesh out and not bite it off the skin directly. The answer is simple, the skin may make your lips and nose tip a meshy purple colour if you are not careful. More over,the skin is bitter, if you accidently bite a bit off it, the taste of the mangosteen will be spoilt. The mangosteen flesh is also pearly white in colour and is very sweet. Camparing to the rambutan's simple oval shaped seed, the mangosteen seed is more sophiscated in appearance. While the seed is also round in shape as a whole, but it is further divided into many slices neatly tugged within the skin compartment. The slices are also of various size, from as big as the thumb to as small as the little finger. Looking from the top, it resembles the crown, no wonder it will earn the name of The Queen!

Uses in folk medicine

Various parts of the plant have a history of use in folk medicine, mostly in Southeast Asia. It is reputed to have possible antiinflammatory properties, and may have been used to treat skin infections or wounds, dysentery or urinary tract infections. Research on the phytochemistry of the plant is still inadequate to assure the safety or scientific certainty of any of these effects.

Varieties of Mangosteen Tree

Only one different variation is known and that is in the Sulu Islands where the fruit diameter is bigger then 7cm and the thicker exocarp, flesh more acid and the flavor more distinct. such as the Button Mangosteen or the Lemondrop Mangosteen .

How the Mangosteen Tree Look ?

The mangosteen is tropical fruit and it plant at latitude country. It cannot tolerate temperatures below 4.44 C nor above 37.78 C. The tree takes about 7 to 10 years to grow up before its produce any mangosteen fruit. The mangosteen tree can reach a height of 7 meters until 30 meters. The wood is very dark in colour and flaking with evergreen leaves .The flowers are about 5 cm long with contain four leaves. The mature Mangosteen fruit able to reach a size of 7 cm. The trees require rich soil

with good drainage. In Malaysia its planted at below 1,500 ft ,450 m from sea level. In Malaysia, its grew huge at Johor, Kelantan dan Perak. The season product mangosteen is from June until August

Mangosteen Fruit Product/Recipes

Mangosteen has many valuable nutrient and you will receive essential nutrients for your body. You should definitely include this fascinating fruit into your dietary habit because it worth the effort. Mangosteen had process to several product such as: Mangosteen Juice that good for health such as microbiological balance support, immune system maintenance, joint flexibility, positive mental support, reduce the bad cholesterol level, increased levels of good antioxidants, Mangosteen rambutan mixed juice Mangosteen soap and Mangosteen margarita

Why Mangosteen Fruit Benefits to Body?

The Mangosteen fruit provide multiple nutrients and each nutrient enrich or recover below diseases: Good health of gastrointestinal maintenance by mangosteen fruit as its fiber. Boiled of its fruit rind used to lighten diarrhea, gonorrhea and gleets and is applied externally biting lotion. Dried rind in powdered form used to lighten disease dysentery.Extracted Oil from rind use to cure eczema as well. an combination of the leaves with unripe banana, benzoic is applied to the injury of circumcision.

Nutritional value per 100 g

Energy 34.0 Kcal Water 87.60% Fat 0.6 gm Carbohydrate 1.0 gm Fiber 5.6 gm Abu 5.1 gm Calcium 0.1 gm Magnesium 7.0 mg Phosphorus 13.0 mg Iron 13.0 mg Sodium 0.6 mg Vit B1 45.0 mg Vit B2 0.03 mg Ascorbic 0.03 mg Acid 0.2 mg Vit C 4.2 mg