Chinese farmers breed coconut worms in durians
It’s that time of year again when people get together to celebrate the king of fruits. Each year, the durian season is filled with excitement as people search for the best deals to feast on the famous fruit. Restaurants and eateries often come up with new durian-inspired creations to lure people into trying them.
But little did we know that durians have a different kind of value. While most people use them solely for eating, these Chinese farmers from Panyu, Guangzhou City, are growing coconut worms in durians which are rumoured to cost more than the fruit itself.
Coconut worms in durians – a new delicacy
Originally posted by a Chinese social media account 石基花无缺花卉种植场 on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, this video has gone viral in Malaysia when it was reposted on the Facebook page, 我们是马来西亚人 We are Malaysians.
The video, which is 3 minutes and 46 seconds long, shows farmers in China harvesting coconut worms from the king of fruits. First, a man walks into a room full of neatly arranged colourful plastic bowls within which durians are kept.
Next, he then opens one of the bowls and checks a durian to see if it is ready for harvesting by placing his ear close to the husk. This is presumably to check for the sound of the fully developed worms inside which could indicate if they are ready.
Then, he proceeds to cut open the durian and reveals the worms before transferring them into another container. These worms are then consumed by people as a delicacy.
On Facebook, this video has generated quite a lot of attention from Malaysians. The reposted video has over 170,000 views and almost a thousand reactions.
Image credit: 我们是马来西亚人 We are Malaysians
Video credit: 我们是马来西亚人 We are Malaysians
Netizens curious about the price of worms
While netizens in Malaysia do find the video grossly bizarre, those in China are actually curious about the price of these worms. Many are suggesting that it could be more expensive than the actual price of durians.
Image credit: 石基花无缺花卉种植场
Douyin user 五姑娘 is among those who suggested that the worms would be expensive. “The worms must be very expensive,” they said.
Image credit: 石基花无缺花卉种植场
Meanwhile, another user named 来符啊来福 asked how much these durian-fed worms cost per jin or per 500 grams.
Image credit: 石基花无缺花卉种植场
回忆, on the other hand, is also curious about the price of the worms. “1 durian already costs over 100 yuan, so how much will the worms be selling at?” they asked.
Farmers breeding coconut worms in durians
It is interesting to see that people are using the king of fruits for a different reason than we could possibly imagine.
Although eating worms or insects is not a food trend in Malaysia, we would like to know what more Malaysians think about this video. Watch the full video here and share your thoughts with us.
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Cover image adapted from: South China Morning Post and Uses of Coconut