HONG KONG – A Malaysian food ambassador has taken Hong Kong audiences inside a specialty durian shop in the gritty Sham Shui Po district, demonstrating how to pick the spiky fruit at its peak and sharing a surprising home remedy for its notorious “heatiness.”
Zhang Yuchen, serving as the food envoy for TVB Plus’s culinary program “Food News Report,” appeared on the April 17 episode with a mission: to master the art of selecting and opening durian. For the Malaysian-born host, the relationship with the pungent fruit is deeply personal.
“Durian to Malaysians is like stinky tofu to people in Hong Kong—it smells terrible, but locals love it,” Zhang explained during the segment. “I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even a midnight snack.”
The episode took Zhang and co-host Gillian Wu to a durian specialty outlet in Sham Shui Po run by Malaysian expatriate Lin. The shop’s motto, “Life is short, but I am sweet,” has garnered a following online, where Lin frequently posts videos of himself cracking open fresh durians.
Due to time constraints, the shop manager offered the pair a taste of the D168 Red Flesh variety, sourced from an old tree that produces an intensely concentrated flavor. Zhang’s reaction was immediate. “One bite, and I was hooked,” he said, describing the experience as unforgettable.
Zhang’s ulterior motive for the visit was to learn Lin’s four-step durian selection method, a skill he said many Malaysians take for granted. The shop owner demonstrated on a Black Thorn King durian, walking through the process:
- Shape check: Rounder durians tend to have more flesh inside.
- Stem scratch: Gently scraping the skin off the fruit’s stem reveals a greenish tint if the durian is fresh.
- Sniff test: A fully ripe durian emits a strong, sweet aroma.
- Shake technique: Holding the fruit and shaking it produces a “clunking” sound for dry-fleshed durians; silence indicates wet flesh.
Zhang also shared a traditional Malaysian remedy for the so-called “heatiness” associated with eating durian. “People say durian makes you hot inside,” he said. “So we drink the brine from the durian shell mixed with salt water to cool down. It really works.”
The segment, part of a series exploring global street food and fruit culture, underscores the growing appetite in Hong Kong for premium Malaysian durians, which can fetch hundreds of Hong Kong dollars per kilogram. For viewers, Zhang’s tips offered pragmatic guidance: look for that greenish stem, and trust the shake test.
Beyond the culinary tricks, the show highlighted a cross-cultural exchange. “I grew up with durian as a staple,” Zhang reflected. “Bringing that love to Hong Kong, and learning from fellow Malaysians here, feels like coming home.”
As the episode concluded, Lin invited the crew back for the peak durian season, promising even rarer varieties. For now, Zhang said he plans to stock his own kitchen with a durian cracker machine—a gadget his family keeps at home for instant gratificatio.
About the series: “Food News Report” airs weeknights on TVB Plus, showcasing international flavors through the eyes of local and expatriate chefs. This episode is available on demand via the network’s streaming platform.