BEIJING (Oct 4): In less than 24 hours, Chinese consumers snapped up the first batch of fresh Malaysian durians exported to China.

A total of 40 tonnes were put on sale from Aug 26 onwards at selected retail outlets in six regions in the People's Republic.

Malaysia's ambassador to China Datuk Norman Muhamad said the durian's freshness and high quality saw the king of fruits well-received by the Chinese people at every outlet where it was sold.

"Indeed, all the durians were sold out on the very first day, which was at the launch ceremony [of the sale], on Aug 26. Even before I left the ceremony, the durians that were brought in there were all sold out," he said.

In August, Malaysia exported premium-quality fresh durians, such as Musang King, Black Thorn, and D24, to be sold in six regions in the republic: Beijing, Zhengzhou, Shanghai, Guanzhou, Shengzen, and Nanning.

Norman said the government will soon work towards establishing more cargo flights between Malaysia and China to bring fresh durians into the country.

"We do have [proposals to increase], our traders will indeed take the opportunity to market fresh durian. But this [fresh] durian is a bit complicated because it must be sold in less than 36 hours because [I fear] it will spoil [if it takes longer]," he said.

Meanwhile, for durian fans in China, the thick, fleshy texture of the durian and its creamy taste make the Malaysian durians leave an exciting experience every time they consume it.

For Chen Jingyi, 26, the Malaysian government's efforts in exporting fresh durian to China brought back her nostalgia for the fruit, which she first tasted while on holiday with her family in Malaysia a few years ago.

"When I travelled with my family [to Kuala Lumpur], we tried [fresh] Musang King. It tasted really good. It is different from the durian I eat here [in China].

"Perhaps because most of the durians that come here have been frozen or something like that, the quality and taste are a little different compared to fresh durians," she said.

She said that although fresh durian is a bit expensive, it is worth it because the taste and quality are very different.

For private worker Wang Yiming, the taste of fresh Malaysian durian was akin to having an ice cream, making her not want to miss the opportunity to get the fruit.

"Durian is very popular in Beijing and is easy to find in supermarkets or fruit shops here, but the fruit is not fresh. Malaysia's initiative to export fresh durian here is the right step and as a result, the fruit is selling very well," she said.

Student Almasbiek Mamut, 21, fell in love with the king of fruits the first time he tasted fresh durian, adding that it tasted very different from the frozen version.

"I am very fond of fresh durian. It's one of my favourite fruits now. The flesh of the durian is incredibly smooth and custard-like, giving it a satisfying feel that's hard to find in other fruits.

"I think I have to go to Malaysia to taste the real fresh durian. I was lucky to be able to buy it," he said.

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