Tasikmalaya's Plaza Asia in Indonesia's West Java region has become a viral sensation in the past few weeks thanks to some pricey durian - a fruit known for its spiky exterior, distinct smell and rich flavour.
The durian in the Plaza Asia supermarket was advertised as being on sale for IDR 14 million (AUD$1,385) each.
As reported by Kompas, Hinhin, the manager of the Plaza Asia store, said that two of the four durians available had been sold.
"This J-Queen Durian is 95 per cent no seeds. Its flesh is thick with a tempting taste," he said.
Hinhin added that this 'J-Queen' variety of durian has won several contests in Central Java.
J-Queen durian (Instagram @foodhuntertasikmalaya) Source: Instagram @foodhuntertasikmalaya
"Even though it was planted in Kendal, Central Java, the inventor of this variety of durian is a native of Tasikmalaya," he said.
Aka, the inventor and owner of Durian J-Queen, claimed that he had developed this new J-Queen variety by crossing different types of durian from various regions in Indonesia.
However, Head of the Agriculture, Plantation and Livestock Service Office of Kendal District, Cipto Wahyono, told Kompas that durian trees that grow in Kendal are local durians, which are not worth millions of rupiah.
"I've just heard that there is a J-Queen durian in Kendal. Especially with that much of a price," he said.
The peculiar smelling fruit colloquially crowned the 'King of Fruits' is indeed occassionally traded at spectacular prices.
An American durian lover who dedicates her life to exploring the world of this particular fruit, Lindsay Gasik, said in her blog that she had spent $300 (AUD$415) on what was then the world's most expensive durian, Nonthaburi Ganyao, which is sold at up to $600 (AUD$831) per fruit.
Last year, in a charity auction, a Kan Yao durian was sold at the 'Nonthaburi: The King of Durian' exhibition in Thailand with a record price of 800,000 baht (AUD$35,341).
Do we grow durian in Australia?
Durian occurs naturally only in Southeast Asia. The seasonal fruit is cultivated commercially especially in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
In Australia, commercial planting of durian fruit began in the Northern Territory and North Queensland in the 1970s.
Although durian production in this country is estimated to be around 60 tons annually with an estimated gross value of AU$480,000, AgriFutures Australia says that the durian's strong smell and its acceptance in a new market - where consumers who have never tried this fruit cannot reconcile the smell with a quality product - are challenges that businesses must face.
That said, this does not mean Australian farmers lack the courage to grow their own durian businesses.
Durian, the "King of the Fruits".
Han Shiong Siah is a farm manager and agronomist for Tropical Primary Products, a family-owned and operated business specialising in tropical fruit production. His profile in Nuffield Australia farming scholars states that his durian crop is the largest durian plantation in Australia.
Even the American durian explorer, Ms. Gasik, once visited his durian farm located southeast of Darwin. In her blog Ms. Gasik said that Mr. Han's HEW 1 variety durian comes from their nursery in Malaysia.
Han's orange-ish yellow fruit is quite large, which Ms. Gasik says is about the size of a Musang King durian.
"I’d love to taste it fresh, because even frozen it was bittersweet delicious," she wrote in her blog.
In November last year, ABC reported that Mr. Han's HEW 1 variety sells for $27 per kilogram. An average durian weighs two to four kilograms.
