At present, Chinese consumers are unable to buy whole imported durians, only refrigerated pieces of durian. The Musang King is a unique regional product of Malaysia and since these durian are allowed to ripen and fall off the tree naturally, it is nearly impossible to transport them over long distances.
The Malaysian government requires plantation owners to refrigerate the naturally ripe Musang King durian at -18 degrees Celsius before export. This is the only way to guarantee that the characteristic flavor is preserved during transport.
Source: Iran (Airan Yingxiang)
