Weighing up to a heavy 3kg, pungent in scent, and possessing a defensive thorn-covered exterior – the durian has Singaporeans by their tastebuds, and it is certainly a fruit to be reckoned with. In countries like Hong Kong, Thailand, and Japan, durian is banned on public transport because of its strong scent, or what some people may describe as a foul odour. How is the formidable durian delivered into and around Singapore? We discover 5 fun facts about moving the durian…
1. Singapore imports all her durians
Although Singaporeans love durian, there are no durian farms here. We import most of our durians from our neighbouring country, Malaysia, and the rest from the Philippines, Thailand and other countries. In 2017, Singapore imported a total of 14,300 tonnes of durian. Following that, the first half of 2018 saw a total of 8,900 tonnes of fresh and chilled durians imported into Singapore – surpassing the amount brought in in the first half of the previous year! Singapore moves a huge amount of durian into the country, which shows just how much Singaporeans love durian.
2. Durians grounded a plane, once
A flight in Indonesia was grounded, believe it or not, because of durians. Passengers refused to stay on the plane because of the penetrating odour of durian in the cabin. They resisted the captain’s orders and argued with crew members until the airline gave in to their requests and unloaded the durian from the plane’s hold. Passengers stood and watched as bags of stinky durians were taken out of the plane. The plane finally took off an hour later… free from the company of the sorry durians.
3. Durians are banned from Singapore’s public buses and trains
Next to “No smoking”, “No eating or drinking” and “No flammable goods” signs in Singapore’s buses are the oddly specific signs of a crossed-out spikey icon that reads: No durians. Durian’s importance in the country has earned it a spot in Singapore’s public transport rule book! In addition to the city’s proudly durian-shaped building (read: the Esplanade), this must be a testament to the fundamental place of durian in the Little Red Dot.
4. Tip: Cling wrap and airtight boxes are the way to go
Instead of buying durian in its shell, you can get it already packeted. The local hack to subduing durian’s stench is to wrap the packeted durian in lots of cling wrap, then put it in airtight containers. After you have done that, you can try your luck bringing it into a taxi – some drivers allow it, while others still insist that you keep your durian far from their vehicle.
5. Online delivery services can send durian right to your doorstep
Delivery services send durian directly to your home and save you the struggle of brainstorming the best solution for transporting your durian – and the hassle of executing that tedious plan. With durian delivery services available, you can simply make your durian orders online and then wait for the gratifying sound of your doorbell to welcome your favourite fragrant fruit.
Moving the durian into and around Singapore is no small feat – but nothing’s to stop Singaporeans from getting their hands on their treasured durians!
Durian Factory offers free delivery to anywhere in SG when you order 3 or more boxes of our fresh Mao Shan Wang durian online here.
