healthydailymail.com One of its own kinds, durian fruit is delicious, soft, succulent and very popular for its unique characteristics. Durian is widely revered as the "King of Fruits" in the South-East Asian countries.
The durian tree is tropical in origin and belongs to family of Malvaceae, in the genus, Durio, a large family of plant species which also include some of the interesting relatives such as hibiscus, okra, etc. It is botanically known as Durio zibethinus.
The exotic durian is native to Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia. While there are 30 known species of Durio exist, only 9 of them have been identified for producing edible fruits. Durian tree starts bearing fruits after four or five years after plantation. The tree can grow upto 50 meters in height depending on the species.
Durian is a seasonal fruit; its season lasts typically from June until August, which coincides with that of the other tropical specific fruits like mangosteen, jackfruit, and mango.
The fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odor, and formidable thorn-covered husk. It can reach up to 30 cm (12 in) long and 15 cm (6 in) in diameter, and typically weighs one to four kilograms (two to seven lb). In shape, it varies from round to oblong; color of its husk (rind) is green with brown; and its flesh features creamy-yellow to saffron color bulbs depending upon the species.
The flesh or pulp can be consumed at various stages of ripeness, and is used as flavoring agent in a wide variety of culinary and sweet preparations in Southeast Asian cuisines. Durian seeds are small, round to oval shape and appear like that of jackfruit seeds. Although boiled seeds can be eaten safely, many discard them. The seeds feature a bland taste akin to jackfruit seeds.
Its edible flesh emits a distinctive odor which can be described as strong and penetrating, even when the husk is intact. This unusual stinky and intense odor of the durian fruit may have prompted many people to express diverse and peculiar opinions ranging from deep appreciation to disgusting!
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Health benefits of Durian fruit
Durian, like other tropical fruits such as Banana, avocado, and jackfruit, is high in energy, minerals and vitamins. 100 g fresh fruit carry 147 calories.
The fruit is made of soft, easily digestible flesh made of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly. Though it contains a relatively higher amounts of fats among the fruits, it is free from saturated fats and cholesterol.
Durian is rich in dietary fiber, which makes it a good bulk laxative. The fiber content helps protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time to toxins. It also helps bind and eliminate cancer-causing chemicals from the gut.
The durian fruit is a good source of antioxidant vitamin-C (about 33% of RDA). Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the human body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful free radicals.
The fruit is an excellent source of health benefiting B-complex groups of vitamins; a rare feature among fruits, such as niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6) and thiamin (vitamin B-1). These vitamins are essential for the body as it requires them from external sources to replenish.
Further, it also contains a good amount of minerals like manganese, copper, iron and magnesium. Manganese is utilized by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells. Iron is required for red blood cell formation.
Fresh durian fruit is a very rich source of potassium. Potassium is an important electrolyte inside cells and body fluids that help controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
Additionally, it also contains high levels of essential amino acid, tryptophan (also referred as "nature's sleeping pill"). Tryptophan in the humans metabolizes into serotonin and melatonin; the two neuro-chemicals that play a vital role in sleep induction and controlling epileptic events.
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