"I can't stand eating it because it smells like a sewer," "Once you quickly put it in your mouth while holding your nose, it becomes creamy and truly delicious."
These are conflicting evaluations of durian, which is said to have the smell of a devil and the taste of heaven. Due to its pungent aroma, durian had previously been difficult to be considered a popular fruit, but it is now gaining popularity in Korea.
According to data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's Imported Food Information Maru on the 2nd, the total amount of durian (fresh standard) declared for import into Korea from January to August this year reached 1,751 tons. All of these shipments were from Thailand.
The volume of imported durian was overwhelmingly larger than that of other tropical fruits such as mangosteen (690 tons), lychee (108 tons), and papaya (75 tons) during the same period.
However, in the case of durian, non-compliant shipments reached 53 tons, which is higher than that of other tropical fruits. There were no non-compliant shipments for mangosteen and papaya, while lychee had only 2 tons. The reasons for non-compliance were mostly exceeding residue limits for pesticides.
Durian is known as a fruit with distinct preferences due to its sweet taste and soft texture, but also its unique unpleasant and pungent odor. However, recently, the consumer base is expanding as travelers who have directly tasted durian in overseas locations such as Southeast Asia begin seeking it out even after returning home.
First, specialized durian sales stores are increasing, centered on areas with high concentrations of foreigners such as Daerim-dong in Yeongdeungpo-gu and Hwayang-dong in Gwangjin-gu in Seoul. Some convenience stores have started selling prepared durian flesh through advance reservations, and frozen durian flesh can be easily found on home shopping channels and online malls.
Amid the growing demand for durian, there are also concerns about safety and quality control issues. This is because the proportion of non-compliant shipments in imported volumes is high. In June, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety issued a non-compliance ruling for durian, where pesticide ingredients such as lufenuron, chlorantraniliprole, and profenofos were detected exceeding standards.
in LIVING
