I checked the forward bias current applied during the diode test function by 4 DMMs I have access to:
Fluke 187 -- 2 mA
Yokogawa TY720 -- 1.2 mA
Gossen Metrawatt 29s -- 1.4 mA
Cheapo Radio Shack -- 1.5 mA
Maybe when the maestro of your earlier days showed what he showed you, DMMs behaved differently. Nowadays, all the DMMs I've had occasion to use apply a few mA for the diode test.
A statement such as "A Digital meter cannot be trusted for this as it in no way actually puts any current through the junction.", apparently intended to apply to all DMMs, just isn't true these days.