World News for Students of English

13-10-2026 15:00

Malaysia is making a strong push to turn durian from a simple roadside snack into a luxury global product. The country is targeting China, the world’s biggest durian market.

Companies in Kuala Lumpur are launching durian-themed items like cakes and ice cream, while a new 2-million-dollar experience centre introduces tourists to Malaysian durian culture. Unlike Thailand, which harvests durians early and controls 81% of China’s market, Malaysia lets its fruit naturally ripen and fall from the tree. This natural method creates superior flavor, but the short shelf life of two to three days creates a difficult race against time.

Since Malaysia only began exporting fresh durians to China in 2024, its export value quadrupled in early 2026. However, sellers note that durian is a luxury item rather than a necessity, which makes sales very sensitive to economic conditions. Thanks to social media, interest in Malaysian durian varieties is growing rapidly among Chinese consumers.

Difficult words: ripen (to become fully grown and ready to eat), superior (better in quality, rank, or value than other things), shelf life (how long food or products stay fresh and safe to eat on a store shelf).

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