They Are Not Monkeys, They Are Tarsiers

· Although it is sometimes tagged as the “smallest monkey in the world” and considered as one of the smallest primates in the world, the Philippine tarsier is not a monkey.

Why Durian is Southeast Asia’s King of Fruits (10 Things You Should Know About Durian)

1. The durian fruit has been well known for its strong thorn-covered husk, uncommon taste, and strange odor, which made others describe it as the fruit that “tastes like heaven, but smells like hell”.
2. Unique to Southeast Asia, the durian tree, Durio zibethinus L., is a powerful and grandiose tree that could stand still for centuries, not unless damaged by natural calamities, humans, severe soil erosion, or diseases as a result of these natural events.
3. The tree is also regarded as the “tree of abundant life”. Its delicious fruit provides health benefits as it is a good source of carbohydrates and proteins (27.09 and 1.47 grams/100 grams of the edible part, respectively) and contains a high amount of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and potassium (19.7 and 436 mg/100 grams of the edible part, respectively). Above: Durian, “Tastes like heaven, smells like hell”
4. It is still debatable whether the durian is a native to the Philippines, but it surely originated in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Furthermore, Thailand, although not an origin of the durian, is one of its major exporters.
5. In Thailand, more than 300 varieties of this fruit were named, but few were being cultivated commercially. Moreover, in the region of Davao in the Philippines, at least 16 varieties of durian were being produced.
6. Southeast Asians in prehistory have already discovered and consumed durian, whereas the people from the western world have only discovered it for about six hundred years.
7. Due to its disagreeable smell, some hotels ban it by posting ‘No Durian’ signs in the hotel lobby and lift areas and even to the extent of giving warnings that you will have to pay a ‘fumigation’ fine if you give off such extremely unpleasant smell to one of their rooms.Above: Some hotels in Kuala Lumpur are very strict with their “No Durian” policy
8. Typically, the tree bears fruit in 4 to 5 years, and the fruit matures after 3 months following pollination. Five- to six-year-old durian trees may already have 10 to 20 fruits, whereas 10-year-old durian trees may bear 80 to 100 fruits.
9. To choose a good durian, experts say that you should not base it on the size, as when it is too big, it is prone to abnormalities. A durian fruit’s maturity is characterized by exuding of a strong ‘perfume’ by the fruit’s middle part.
10. There are several Durian Festivals held in different parts of Southeast Asia, and these include the Kadayawan Festival in Davao City, the center of Durian production in the Philippines, and the World Durian Festival in Rayong and Chanthaburi provinces in East Thailand.