Thailand taking the stink out durian to sweeten sales

Apr 11, 2007, 9:35 GMT

Bangkok - The Thai Department of Agriculture hopes taking the stink out of durian will sweeten exports of the locally popular fruit, an official involved in a project to do so said Wednesday.

Songpon Somsri, with the Department of Agriculture's Horticulture Research Institute, said he has been working on an odorless durian for more than 20 years and the department is now breeding hybrids named Chanthaburi 1 and Chanthaburi 2 with plans to distribute one million saplings to farmers.

Durian looks anything but appetising with its spikey light green exterior that grows to the size of an oblong football and has an overpowering smell that keeps the fruit banned from many hospitals, hotels, airports and offices. But the tasty soft rich interior is popular with many in Southeast Asia.

With the new hybrid species the often overpowering smell is not completely gone, but it is and down to a tolerable level for most people, while at the same time the taste, texture and colour remain good, Songpon said.

'I have an Australian friend who said this new durian tastes perfect,' Songpon said.

A third hybrid named Chantaburi 3 didn't work as well because although odorless when harvested the stink returned after about three days.

All three species are disease-resistant and fast-growing and can be harvested in April, a month earlier than tradition strains, so the local markets won't be flooded in May.

The Agriculture Department, however, also has an eye on increased exports, with hopes of an odorless durian finding fans in European and American markets.