Durians are Falling throughout the Year in Medan

In Medan City, durians are always available and can be found in at least 11 locations. The number of people who live there are countless.

KOMPAS/AUFRIIDA WISMI WARASTRI

Durian from the Ucok Durian stall on Jalan Wahid Hasyim, Medan, Monday (2/5/2022).

Having thick flesh with a distinctive aroma, Medan durians are always available. The soft, melting sensation, the sweet-legit and even bitter taste on the tongue, hypnotizes its audience far and wide, from Japan to Brazil. This Lebaran festivity, durians are also being hunted.

In Medan, the king of fruits can be enjoyed from sidewalk stalls to cool cafes with soft sofas. Just select.

In Medan City, durians are always available and can be found in at least 11 locations, such as on Jl. Wahid Hasyim, Jl. Iskandar Muda, Jl. Sunggal, Jl. Jamin Ginting, not far from the flyover, or on Jl. Tentara Pelajar. The number of people who live there are countless.

The number of durian stalls multiply when the durian season arrives. On every street corner, new stalls appear, or the durians are simply placed on motorbike seats on sidewalks, as was the norm in the 1990s.

There had been few guests because of social restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now, the durian stalls are busy again. This Lebaran holiday has become a bustling transaction. "The number of guests increased by 70-80 percent as compared to normal days," said Didit Febriadi, 45, the cashier of Ucok Durian on Jl. Wahid Hasyim, on Monday (2/5/2022). Toward midnight, Ucok Durian was still busy on the first day of Lebaran.

The number of guests increased by 70-80 percent as compared to normal days.

Dika, 21, a resident of Purwakarta, West Java, who came in a group, consumed six durians. "I always come here when I go to Medan. There is something missing if I don't eat durian," said Dika's relative.

The same thing happened at Si Bolang Durian on Jl. Iskandar Muda. Maria Setyaningsih, 54, a resident of Bogor, West Java, and her elderly mother ate one durian. “My mother wanted to add more, but I forbade it. You're already old, mom," she said.

Maria took the time to enjoy Medan durians, because the fruits have thick flesh. She can also choose the ones she wants. If the customers do not like it, either because of the color, taste, or size, the sellers will replace it. In addition to eating one on the spot, she also ordered fruits to take home. Fresh durian meat is neatly arranged in a plastic box, then packaged in airtight plastic.

In the past, packaging had to be sprayed with coffee and pandan leaf slices to eliminate the smell. Then, the durians were covered with thick plaster like a "mummy". Now, packaging technology is improving. Online purchases are up.

KOMPAS/AUFRIDA WISMI WARASTRI

Guests enjoy durian at the Ucok Durian durian stall, Jalan Wahid Hasyim, Medan, Monday (2/5/2022).

Billion of rupiah per day

This Lebaran holiday was not really the durian season. Sellers call it “small season”. Durian season is actually called "big season". That's when there are big harvests. Usually twice a year, around August and December, durians from all over North Sumatra flood Medan in abundance.

In that season, durian workers increase. In Ucok Durian alone, on an ordinary day there are only a dozen workers, but during the durian season, there might be 40 workers per day.

During the big season, said Didit, the supply of durian to Ucok Durian reaches 10,000 pieces per day, in 10 pick-up trucks. In the small season like now, there are only 4-5 cars per day. And the durians always run out.

Usually only half of the durian supply is sold for direct consumption. The rest are sold in the market, where the meat is also made into frozen durian.

For the sake of continuity of supply, the sellers cooperate with a network of farmers, collectors and suppliers of durians. They have a harvest schedule.

For example, before Lebaran, durians were supplied from the Special Region of Aceh, then from Mandailing Natal in North Sumatra. In June, the durians from Sibolga and parts of Sidikalang in Dairi have a turn. And so on.

KOMPAS/AUFRIDA WISMI WARASTRI

Piles of durians at the Ucok Durian durian stall, Jalan Wahid Hasyim, Medan, Monday (2/5/2022).

Raymond Tampubolon, 26, a durian supplier of the Durian Sirait trading business, said he had explored every corner of North Sumatra for the sake of supplying durians and their meat. In Nias, for example, because transportation is difficult, he brings it in the form of frozen durian flesh. The same thing is done in Mentawai, West Sumatra.

Certain times when there is no durian supply from North Sumatra, durian is supplied from far away. This season he brought durians from Painan, Pesisir Selatan, West Sumatra.

"I left Painan yesterday at three in the afternoon," said Raymond. He arrived in Medan the next day before midnight, or 36 hours later. He also often looked for durian in Bengkulu and Palembang. When bringing to Medan, durians are transported by refrigerated car.

Durian per L-300 car is valued at Rp 30 million (US$2,072.76) during the small season. During the high season, prices usually drop. If, every night, durian cars enter the city of Medan, in one month the circulation of "durian money" can amount to tens of billions of rupiah. That does not include durians for export.

In the city of Medan, the stretch of “falling durian” is a blessing throughout the year.

The sale of durians in Medan, which has been transformed into modern stalls, is not without a process. Zainal Abidin, 53, the owner of Ucok Durian, said that in the 1980s and 1990s, dozens of farmers sold durian on either side of Jl. Iskandar Muda every durian season. They sold the fruits on the ground.

Zainal, who was a durian transporter at that time, finally set up a stall jointly with other traders. Durians were piled on the sidewalk; plastic chairs and mats were provided. Durians which were not good were free.

Syahrial, 45, a Ucok Durian technician, said that the key to success is quality. That is also what is upheld in Si Bolang Durian.

Entering the durian business in 2016, the owners, who were mostly young people, introduced a contemporary concept. "We make the eating area as comfortable as possible and instagramable," said Hendry, 31, the team leader at Si Bolang Durian.

They offer durian per kilogram at Rp 85,000. Durian that is not selected by the buyer is not served. From the "rejected" durians, there are delicacies in the forms of pancakes, bolu, martabak, risoles, ebabs, assorted fruit ices and ice cream.

Frozen durian flesh is also exported to Asian countries, Australia and the United States. "Many of them are used as durian ice cream," said Yusfahri Perangin-Angin, the head of the program subdivision of the North Sumatran food crops and horticulture office.

In the city of Medan, the stretch of “falling durian” is a blessing throughout the year. Countless families live from that blessing.

This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.