China’s growing appetite for durian spurs market innovations

China’s middle class consumers have been tightening their purse strings, but their appetite for durian – pungent, spiky fruit mostly imported from Southeast Asia – continues to grow.

In Chinese cities, durians have transcended their status as a fruit to become a fashionable choice for young consumers. The catering sector has responded with “everything can be + durian” promotions that have spawned a proliferation of durian-themed restaurants with offerings ranging from drinks and desserts to hotpots and buffets.

On Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, topics such as “durian barbecue” and “durian buffet” have amassed more than 1.24 billion views.

One brand in Guangdong province that specialises in durian chicken hotpots has sold more than 2.22 million of them, and its durian burger has gained widespread attention on social media.

A durian buffet restaurant in Shenzhen, Guangdong, went viral online recently when it offered diners their choice of more than 200 dishes featuring Malaysian durian – including porridge, pancakes and cakes – for 199 yuan (US$27.39) a head.

The Chinese market consumes over 90 per cent of the world’s durian supply, with imports surging from 430,000 tonnes, worth US$1.1 billion, in 2018 to 1.38 million tonnes, valued at US$6.2 billion, from January to September this year, according to official data.