Durian Cake
The durian cake market has existed for a long time, but is small.
Durian cake is usually crumbled for use as an ingredient, rather
than being eaten whole as a snack. So the trading of durian
cake is as a commodity product. Branding is rarely applied for
this type of processed durian. Most of the market remains in
Asian or the Asian minority in Western countries. The consumption
of durian cake is limited to Chinese and some Eastern Asian
Countries. Durian exporters can add value to their product by
redesigning the packaging before introducing it to westerners.
Moreover, introducing durian cake as a snack is a good idea
for increasing durian consumption.
Other useful durian materials
Rind: The dried or half-dried rinds are burned as fuel, and
fish may be hung in the smoke to acquire a strong flavor. The
ash is used to bleach silk.
Wood: The sapwood is white and the heartwood light red-brown,
soft, coarse, durable and termite-resistant. It is used for
masts and interiors of huts in Malaysia.
Medicinal Uses: The flesh is said to serve as a vermifuge. In
Malaysia, a decoction of the leaves and roots is prescribed
as a febrifuge. The leaf juice is applied on the head of a fever
patient. The leaves are employed in medicinal baths for people
with jaundice. Decoctions of the leaves and fruits are applied
to swellings and skin diseases. The ash of the burned rind is
taken after childbirth. The leaves probably contain hydroxy-tryptamines
and mustard oils.
The odor of the flesh is believed to be linked to indole compounds
which are bacteriostatic. Eating durian is alleged to restore
the health of ailing humans and animals. The flesh is widely
believed to act as an aphrodisiac. In the late 1920's, Durian
Fruit Products, Inc., of New York City, launched a product called
"Dur-India" as a "health-food accessory"
in tablet form, selling at US$ 9 for a dozen bottles, each containing
63 tablets - a 3-months' supply. The tablets reputedly contained
durian and a species of Allium from India, as well as a considerable
amount of vitamin E. They were claimed to provide "more
concentrated healthful energy in food form than any other product
the world affords"- to keep the body vigorous and tireless,
the mind alert with faculties undimmed, the spirit youthful.
A toothpaste flavored with durian is currently marketed for
durian fanciers. |
