Durian is another word used for the first time in Parke’s translations of Mendoza’s travel miscellany The history of the great and mighty kingdom of China. The durian is described as being more tasty than any other fruit ever seen or tasted. It is stated that the origin of the word durian comes from Malay.
It was Thomas Herbert the man who gave English the word umbrella who was the first English-speaking person who saw the fruit and mentioned it. He writes only that it is a rare and excellent fruit. Dampier was the first British explorer who travelled to and commented in writing on Australia. He was the first English person who described the fruit in more detail. In A new voyage round the world which came out in 1697, he comments that durian trees were as big as apple trees. And the delicious taste of the fruit which is “as white as milk and soft as cream” is highlighted.
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