Kuala Lumpur, 11 June 2026, On Thursday, 11 June, the Embassy of France in Malaysia held a special day dedicated to the durian, marking the first event of its kind organised by the Embassy. Through a series of events, the programme celebrated the durian and Malaysian culture while exploring their connections with French culture and culinary traditions.
The day opened at Taylor’s University with a conference followed by a durian tasting, organised in partnership with Air Liquide, MATRADE, Taylor’s University, UPM and Business France. Malaysian and French experts discussed the durian’s place in Malaysian gastronomy, as well as the technologies that support producers and distributors. Two round tables were held: “The Durian: A Fruit, A Terroir, An Identity” (Dr Elise Mognard, Taylor’s University; Dr Muhammad Shahrim, UPM; Dr Mohd Firdaus Ismail, UPM) and “The Durian: From Orchard to Global Markets” (Mr Bertrand Leroux, Air Liquide Malaysia; YBhg. Dato’ Ng Lian Poh, DSR Taiko; Ts. Ajmain Kasim, CTO, DSR Taiko; and Mr Siew Wei Chung, Koperasi Pengusaha dan Pengeksport Durian Malaysia). The discussions were
moderated by Ms Zuhaila Sedek fromMATRADE.
The first round table explored the connection between the durian’s emblematic status and its highly refined taste. The speakers highlighted the importance of taste education in strengthening international exports, as well as the need to identify durian varieties suited to local palates, drawing parallels with cheese and foie gras.
The second round table highlighted the role of technology in durian cultivation and showed how innovation can help transform agricultural products into premium exports. Air Liquide presented its cryogenic freezing technology for Malaysian durians, which helps preserve taste and quality while enabling the fruit to better meet export-market requirements.
Participants then had the opportunity to taste three durian varieties (XO, Udang Merah and Musang King) in a tasting organised by DKing.
The programme continued with an exclusive dinner at the Residence of France, prepared by Chef James Won, a Malaysian chef trained in France and a recipient of the French Order of Agricultural Merit, with support in the kitchen from students at Taylor’s University. The dinner was designed as a meeting point between French and Malaysian gastronomy, featuring French-inspired durian dishes.
“My third attempt was a revelation, like finally reaching the summit of a mountain. I was with friends in Singapore, in Geylang, a district known for its vibrant gastronomic nightlife. It was there that my body and mind came into alignment. My body stopped resisting, while my mind completed the invisible process of acceptance that had begun when I arrived in the region. Together, they accepted this tropical fruit for what it is: the king of fruits” — H.E. Marc Abensour
Above all, the event highlighted the affinities between Malaysian and French cultures. Both countries share a deep passion for gastronomy, conviviality and the pleasure of bringing people together around food. Malaysia’s “king of fruits”, the durian, can serve as a cultural bridge between the two countries through gastronomy and heritage.
In Malaysia, the durian appears to occupy a place comparable to that of cheese in France. They share not only a strong smell; more importantly, both embody diversity, regional identity and culinary heritage. Its many varieties and terroirs — from Pulau Pinang to Johor, via Pahang and the Raub region — as well as the preferences it inspires and the debates it provokes, make it far more than a fruit. It belongs to the shared imagination, to cultural heritage and to national identity. In many respects, this imposing tropical fruit is ametaphor for Malaysia itself.
The time has come to introduce this unparalleled tropical fruit to French consumers, who value appellations of origin, the notion of terroir, the pursuit ofhigh-quality products and the preservation of gastronomic and culinary heritage. French and Malaysian consumers share a similar pride in local produce and in the know-how behind it. This shared outlook provides fertile ground for closer relations between the two countries.
