Ways to spot pure breed Musang King durians

PETALING JAYA: “Pure breed” Musang King durians can be distinguished by their brownish-grey exterior, broad and blunt spikes, consistent bean-like shape and the unmistakable “star” on the bottom.

Compared with the D24 durian, the Musang King is heavier due to a thicker husk. Its fruit is bright yellow and longish with a small seed and emits a sharp, pungent smell.

Donald Ng, 55, who has been selling the King of Fruits for the past 35 years, said although some durian enthusiasts differed in their preferences, a long-standing favourite was the Musang King.

He added that his prices for the Musang King depended on supply and demand, ranging from RM10 to RM12 on weekdays and RM14 to RM15 on weekends when the demand was high.

“There are sellers who try to sell mix-breed' Musang King durians, which are usually slightly cheaper, at the pure breed' price. It's quite easy to tell the difference as the Musang King characteristics are quite distinct,” Ng said at his all-you-can-eat durian buffet stall in SS2 here.

He said customers should be aware and not pay exorbitant prices for anything that's not the “real deal” and that the standard rate for the Musang King durian in season was no more than RM16.

Cheong Yeow Choy, 51, who also runs a durian stall in SS2, said some sellers believed that some species grow optimally in certain areas.

He added that while it was almost impossible to tell which state a durian was grown in just by looking at it or tasting it, it was possible to tell whether it was harvested on the highlands or flatlands.

He admitted that due to a common misconception that Pahang durians tasted better, some durian sellers would tell their customers that all their fruits were from there even if some were from other states.

Some interesting facts about the Raja Kunyit/Musang King (D24) is that the word musang here does not refer to the civet cat but to the region “Gua Musang” where this clone was first planted while the Udang Merah/Ang Hae/Red Prawn (D175) is named after its distinct reddish flesh.

The shape of the durian is also shrivelled to the side like a prawn.

XO durian is named after the alcoholic aftertaste which lingers longer than its bitter taste and it is one of the more expensive durians.