Demand for durian increased by 400% thanks to the craze in China

"Going against the global trend, durian demand is increasing 400% over the same period last year, just due to the fever in China," quoted from a report published by HSBC bank earlier this week. Aris Dacanay, HSBC's ASEAN economist, revealed that in the past two years, China imported $6 billion worth of durians, accounting for 91% of global demand. The durian craze is largely concentrated in China. In a country of billions of people, consumers not only see it as just a fruit but also a gift that shows the wealth of the upper class. In addition, it has become popular to give durian as a customary gift to friends and relatives upon engagement. CNBC also calls durian the "king of fruits". The SCMP newspaper quoted Ma Qian - a resident of a rural district, Henan province, China - saying that giving wedding or engagement gifts to relatives and friends now has more options. separately, alongside traditional grapes, ham, milk, and dried mushrooms. "My cousin got engaged last month and the ...