Source: The Australian
Date:18 Feb, 2012

FOOD Detective has just returned from Malaysia, where she discovered many exciting new foods. She has now added Kuala Lumpur and Malacca to her list of must-return-to destinations so she can finish trying everything on offer in these vibrant cities. It may take some time, given the diverse cultural influences – from Malay and Indian to Nyonya and Chinese – in the local cuisine, but she’s nothing if not determined.

Top of her new list of favourites is cendol. This syrupy concoction, perfect in the tropical heat, comprises shaved ice topped with thick coconut milk, brown sugar syrup, red beans and a green, wormlike jelly made of green pea flour and pandan leaves, all stirred together to an icy soup. Detective’s record was three cendols in one day (the weather was positively stifling, you understand) and she is putting off a visit to her doctor until she has her arteries recalibrated.

Detective also developed an obsession for ayam pongteh, a chicken stew made with preserved bean paste, and she now knows how to make it herself courtesy of Recipes from the Nyonya Kitchen, a cookbook by the delightful local celebrity chef Florence Tan.

Something Detective won’t be making in her own kitchen is the “One-Bite Durian Puff”, discovered during a stroll down Malacca’s Jonker Street, a haven of antiques stores, street stalls, restaurants and bars.

The durian, banned in many public places because of its singular stench, has been embraced here. Detective hadn’t tried durian in anything but its natural state, so was eager to put the one-bite puff through its paces. And it was really rather good – a fresh and springy profiterole-style puff filled with a cool, durian-flavoured paste. A warning, though. Failure to dispatch the puff in one bite and you may be left with a squirt of durian paste down your shirt. And that’s something to be avoided at all costs. More: tourismmalaysia.com.au.

DETECTIVE was recently invited by the people at Bells at Killcare on the NSW Central Coast to check out their newly expanded accommodation (14 extra deluxe suites and villas bring total rooms to 25) and she can report that the glamorous new digs have not diminished the escape’s intimate feel.

The new lodgings are kitted out in the same beachy decor as the original 11 rooms and are positioned to ensure complete privacy. Dining opportunities for in-house guests, meanwhile, have been expanded to include breakfast at award-winning Manfredi at Bells. While Detective rather liked the previous arrangement, where breakfast provisions were left for guests to prepare in the comfort of their own cottage, she is glad the morning meal is now being left in the hands of the professionals, as putting out frying-pan fires can be so tiresome when one is trying to have a relaxing break.

She and Mr Detective spread out the weekend papers on the restaurant terrace overlooking manicured lawns and executive chef Stefano Manfredi’s kitchen garden, and tucked into Italian crepes with raspberries, lemon and cane sugar, and a Bells breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages, grilled tomato and mushrooms, to a backdrop of laughing kookaburras.

Those who fancy extending their stay can sign up for another new initiative – cooking classes using produce from the kitchen garden. Head chef Cameron Cansdell runs the first on March 7. More: bellsatkillcare.com.au.

THE Australian government rejected a proposed new traffic light labelling scheme – an at-a-glance, colour-coded guide to nutritional info on the front of food packaging – but public health research body The George Institute, in conjunction with health insurer Bupa, has launched a smartphone app giving a traffic-light rating to 20,000 packaged food products found in local supermarkets.

Users scan the barcode using their iPhone camera and get advice on total fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium content – green for low, amber for medium and red for high – via the FoodSwitch app.

MENUWATCH

SOMETHING for the family who can never settle on one restaurant. Taste of Sydney, the festival of food held each year in Centennial Parklands, is on from Thursday, March 8, to Sunday, March 11. During the four-day event, leading Sydney restaurants including Longrain, Quarter 21, Flying Fish and A Tavola will run “pop-up” venues from which they’ll dispense more than 40 signature dishes. There will be Taste Kitchen cooking sessions with chefs, wine sampling, producers’ stalls offering everything from Adriano Zumbo pastries and Pat & Stick’s ice creams to Pukara Estate olive oils and more. Detective loves a moveable feast and hopes the weather holds out long enough for her to have sampled a little bit of everything.More: tasteofsydney.com.au.

THE SERVE

DETECTIVE despairs at the quality of food being served to those in aged-care facilities, and is pleased that aged-care provider HammondCare has taken up the cudgels by appointing a new executive chef and “food ambassador” to improve menus across nearly 20 of its venues. Chef Peter Morgan-Jones has stints cooking in leading Sydney restaurants, as well as at Wimbledon and Buckingham Palace garden parties, under his belt. Here’s hoping he can serve up the royal treatment for our deserving golden oldies, and encourage other aged-care operators to follow suit.

Source: PhilStar.com
Date: 27 Jan, 2012

Source: The Star
Date: 31 December, 2011

KUANTAN: Durian lovers can look forward to having their fix during the off-season, thanks to the unusual weather pattern.

Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama) Eastern Region II (Pahang) director Abdul Rashid Bahri said although this was the off-season, supply of the King of Fruits had not decreased.

He attributed this to the unusual climate plus better farm management.

“I wouldn’t say there is an oversupply, but there is a lot more durian than usual.

“I have been told by the farmers that it was due to the intermittent rainfall and sunshine in recent days,” he said.

Abdul Rashid added that the rainy season did not affect or spoil the harvest because the durian crop had already matured in November, before the onset of the monsoon.

“It is a durable fruit, so unless there is a flood, it will not spoil.”

Abdul Rashid added that it was good for the industry as durian lovers would get to enjoy the fruit for up to nine months a year while farmers could enjoy a consistent income over a longer period.

He said Fama had taken advantage of the situation by marketing durian throughout the country and exporting some, in frozen form, to China.

Fruit traders here are going all out to increase sales during the bumper harvest too.

Durian trader Khalid Sidek, 53, said his supply from Bentong seemed to be endless.

“I will not say it is unusual but there just seems to be a lot of durian coming from Bentong.

“We are getting up to 100 baskets daily,” he said at his stall in Taman Tas here. “And, sales are good.

“Sometimes, the demand is so overwhelming that we run out of stock,” he added.

Source: Bernama
Date: Dec 12, 2011

IPOH, Dec 14 (Bernama) — The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) will intensify efforts to promote durian seedling clones, namely the MDUR 78, MDUR 79 (both launched in 1991) and MDUR 88 (1992).

Perak Mardi director Dr Zabri Abd Wahid said although the clones were produced by Mardi almost 20 years ago, they were not widely known due to lackadaisical promotion.

He said until now, the clones were cultivated on small scales in Pahang, Kedah, Perak and Terengganu, and efforts would be intensified to promote them widely to farmers for commercialisation.

“The clones have better features than their parent plants. For example, the 88 MDUR, which is a cross between D24 and D10, has thicker flesh and the fruit matures faster.

“The MDUR 88 clone starts fruiting faster – between six and seven years after it is planted. It also has higher resistance to canker disease (phytophthora palmivora),” he said when met at a Mardi station in Kuala Kangsar today.

“The clones are well-received when we promoted them at fruit carnivals, but not many people are aware that they have been in the market for so long,” he said, adding that the durian seedling clones are sold at RM8 each at Mardi nurseries.

Zabri said as the clones were awarded the ISO certification, the quality of the durian trees and seedlings were guaranteed.

Twelve more hybrid durians produced by Mardi recently will be launched in the market soon, he added.

Source: Fresh Fruits Portal
Date: 13 Dec, 2011

Asia’s ‘king of fruits’, the highly revered durian is gaining more exposure in international markets as more foodies take a liking to its smelly goodness, while some businesspeople are opting for new outlets through processing.

While the durian is native to the rainforests of Malaysia and Indonesia, the world’s largest exporter is Thailand with annual shipments worth more than THB2 billion (US$64.8 million). Malaysia comes in second with production of around 265,000 metric tons (MT), which represents around 20% of the global supply.

Durians are known around the world for their garbage-like scent, reminiscent of week-old socks. The aroma is so inescapable it has been banned from Singapore’s public transport system, as well as many hotels throughout South East Asia.

But getting beyond the scent, the fruit is rich and creamy, contains hints of almonds and possesses a smooth texture.

Singapore-based Four Seasons Durians owner Victor Chan, says Malaysian-grown durians are the most fragrant.

“I just love it. The aroma, the creamyness, the aftertaste. I don’t get sick of it,” he says.

The tropical fruit has to be consumed in the evening when it is a little cooler because of its ‘heaty’ nature and too much of the yellowy flesh can make you feverish.

During the durian season, between June and July in Malaysia, the fruit will fall off the tree during the early hours of the morning, and will be harvested, packed and transported via truck to Singaporean markets that afternoon.

This is how Chan gets his fresh product during the short season, but he highlights that durian lovers have created ways to allow the fruit to be consumed all year long.

The former chef creates pancakes, puffs, puddings and cakes that use frozen durian, and his franchise now has three outlets in Singapore.

“The durian only has two seasons a year. We only freeze it when it is abundant and we have stock that can last six months,” he says.

“If you compare the frozen and fresh one of course there is a slight difference but it can stay for six months no problem.”

Zul Jaffar, operations manager for import-export company Hock Chew Tee Impex, says he has overseas clients attempting to create durian juice, and has an Italian client using it for his gelato on the other side of the world.

Special properties

While it is largely the yellow meaty flesh of the durian that is prized, Chan hopes the fruit can go beyond the food industry, as the husk and white part of the fruit go to waste 60-70% of the time.

“The outside (husk) can be recycled and into blankets and lots of stuff but the most important is the white stuff that can be used in the beauty industry for masks and anti-ageing. I am processing it, it is starting, and I am trying to get the local government to support this,” he says.

The business owner says the white part of the durian keeps the smell in, and therefore can be made into deodorizing soap. The fruit also holds many health benefits, and can help women during their pregnancy.

“It is the best. It has a lot of protein. (Women) They take it and it is good for the baby. It has a lot of nutrients and replenishes the woman as the birth uses a lot of energy.”

He says for men durians also increase sex drive and fertility rates.

Swag of varieties

The range of durian cultivars available is not the result of any recent scientific breeding programs, but largely the work of growers selecting their favorite trees.

Jaffar says there are many varieties, and notes that in Thailand experts have even attempted to create a durian that does not smell.

“To create durians they’ve got many recipes – you can make more than 50. Do not mistake me, there’s maybe more. They mix this and mix that but then the taste is still durian,” he says.

Jaffar’s company sells lower grade frozen durian pulp at SGD$14-16 (US$10.90-12.46) per kilogram, while the mountain cat variety can fetch around SGD$60 (US$46.74)/kg.

Out of Asia?

Chan is confident durian can be sold to foreigners within Singapore, but is sceptical about sales outside Asia. While he is dying to get the fruit into Europe, there is still a long way to go.

“We have tourists that buy our product from Italy and America, even the Japanese. In Hong Kong we are in the press and on the TV. We are in the Hong Kong tourism book so people who come to Singapore can look for us,” he says.

“Westerners eat durian. Some try and they like it. It’s like cheese. The smell is awful but when you taste it you love it. You can get addicted.”

Jaffar says people just need to let go of their inhibitions when they try the fruit.

“We understand it, but you know some people they say it’s very nice but impossible to describe.”

Source: The Star
Date: 15 Dec, 2011

SEVEN one-stop centres specialising in packing frozen durians for export to the Chinese market are scrambling to fulfil orders for their customers,China Press reported.

These centres cannot cater to the demand and many exporters are stuck in a queue as they wait for their products to be packed.

“It is the durian season now and exporters only have three to four days to pack their products before they can be exported to China,” it said.

The daily also said only one centre in Taiping complied with the standards set for frozen durians that were meant to be exported to China.

The seven centres are in Jerantut and Raub in Pahang, Subang Jaya, Cheras, Negri Sembilan, Batu Pahat and Malacca.

Sin Chew Daily reported that New Era College acting principal Dr Mok Soon Chong is expected to be appointed as principal.

Dong Zong (United Chinese School Committees Association) deputypresident Chow Siew Hon said so far, only Dr Mok had applied for the position and the selection committee had assessed his application.

“The committee is expected to recommend Dr Mok for the principal’s post at the New Era College committee meeting on Wednesday.

“The members are allowed to give their opinion as regards the candidates and if they pass the recommendation unanimously, their suggestion will be forwarded to the board of directors of Dong Jiao Zong Education Centre Sdn Bhd,” he added.

Chow said once the recommendation was approved by the board of directors, the candidate’s name would be submitted to the Higher Education Ministry.

Dr Mok, 45, completed his undergraduate and post-graduate studies in Chinese Studies at Universiti Malaya.

He obtained his doctorate in East Asian Studies from the university last year.