Frozen durian from Davao shipped for first time to Melbourne

• The first ever shipment of frozen durian from Davao City has arrived in Melbourne, Australia

• The initial shipment of two varieties of durian called puyat and duyaya in whole pieces with shell and a tasting sampler pack arrived at the Port of Melbourne on March 2

• The shipment was ordered by Melbourne-based importer, Aus Asia Produce Pty Ltd.

The first ever shipment of frozen durian from Davao City has arrived in Melbourne, Australia, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The initial shipment of two varieties of durian called puyat and duyaya, in whole pieces with shell, and a tasting sampler pack arrived at the Port of Melbourne on March 2, made possible by Melbourne-based importer, Aus Asia Produce Pty Ltd.

Aus Asia Produce is an Australian company that specializes in importing and distributing exotic tropical fruits, Asian vegetables, herbs, and other products.

“Puyat is sweet with a hint of ‘bitterness’ as the desired flavor amongst new generation durian connoisseurs, whilst duyaya has the most flesh of any durian I have ever seen in my life, and I’ve eaten many before and this is even meatier,” Aus Asia Produce director Thanh Truong said.

The first batch of shipment also included a tasting sampler pack containing three varieties of durian—puyat, duyaya, and arancillo, which were curated by “Year of the Durian” writer and traveler Lindsay Gasik, the most traveled durian blogger in the world.

Philippine Ambassador to Australia Ma. Hellen De Le Vega said this is a breakthrough development that could further expand exports of other fruits and vegetables from Mindanao.

DTI’s Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Sydney, meanwhile, said the Philippines is looking forward to more cooperation between Australian and Philippine companies that will bring more Philippine high-quality, world-class food products to Australia and make them available to both Filipino and Australian mainstream consumers.

PTIC Sydney recently announced that Filipino products are now available in mainstream retail stores in Australia through giant retailer Woolworths, which has 60 stores.

Filipino brands that are available in Woolworths include sauces, mixes, vinegar, soy sauce, salty snacks, biscuits, and rice noodles, among others.

Australia is the country’s 18^th largest export partner in 2020, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.