World tour cyclist stops in his tracks for durian

Chang Chiao enjoying his Balik Pulau durian.

GEORGE TOWN: The lure of the famed Balik Pulau durian has proven to be so irresistible that a Taiwanese cyclist has temporarily put the brakes on his current world tour.

Chang Chiao-Chung has arrived in Balik Pulau to enjoy the delicious Malaysian 'king of fruits'. The 28-year-old, from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, said the aroma of the durian had lured him here and he wants to try some durians, especially the branded ones.

"I just arrived here last Friday and have put durians on my must-try list of fruits in Penang. "I tasted the frozen durian fruit in Thailand a few months ago, but the fresh durians here are totally different...and I like the yellowish-coloured durian," he told Bernama when met at the 1818 Durian and Fruit dealer store on Tuesday.

Chang said he loved the creamy and smooth texture of the durian and was seen buying a few durians from the store. "Malaysia is my fifth stop after China, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. After this, I will head for Australia to work for a few months to earn pocket money before continuing my journey to New Zealand, European countries, United States and South America before returning to Taiwan," he said.

Chang recalled that the plan to cycle around the world came after he felt bored with his working environment as maintenance officer in a communications company in Taipei, Taiwan, where he had worked for six years.

"I want to explore and learn new things, and that is my reason to cycle around the world. I have found Malaysia to be a very unique multiracial and multicultural country where the people live in peace and harmony," he said.

Chang said, while he enjoyed the food here, the only dish he would truly miss when he left Malaysia this Sunday, would be the glutinous rice dumpling.

Besides being synonymous for its Laksa Balik Pulau, the place is also famous for its durian plantations which include 'Musang King' or 'Mau Shan Wang', Little Red or 'Xiao Hong', Water Gourd or 'Hor Lor' and Red Prawn or 'Ang Heh'. A kilogramme of these durians could reach up to RM50.

-Bernama/thestar online.