Indigenous durians – far better than even the famed Musang King?
DURING the recent durian season, around December and January, many in Kuching were somewhat shocked by the price of the fruits in the market. Some fruits were selling for RM30 each.
However, did you know that the Musang King imported from Peninsular Malaysia cost around RM100 per fruit? Why can this variety command such a hefty price?
If you travel to Kuala Lumpur, you will actually find that the Musang King is no cheaper now. My friends and I had a fruit for nearly RM50 two years ago. Recently my cousin found that 1kg of Musang King is now priced at RM150!
The main reason behind the skyrocketing price is the shortage of supply locally. This is because growers are taking advantage of the good price for the export market, especially to China.
We are actually lucky to be able to enjoy many good quality durians in Sarawak. Some would argue that our durians are far superior to Thai durians, which do not have a durian aroma. The taste of the fruit is also bland when compared to fruits available locally. What changed with Thai durians has something to do with the agronomic practices there.
Background
There are over 30 species in the genus Durio from the family Bombacaceae. The most popular species is the Durio zibethinus. The cultivars carry the code with the letter ‘D’ and a number. For example, there are specific variants like D99, and Mon thong (D159) or golden pillow, which is among the most popular for commercial production from Thailand.
A popular variety in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore is the D24, which has a bittersweet taste.
Of course today the variety that is in most demand is none other than the Musang King or D197. This would have to be one of the priciest durians to date. It is known for its bright yellow flesh. It is actually an enhanced version of D24. In Kuching, there is a nursery at Mile 10 Kuching-Serian road that sells Musang King seedlings.
As mentioned, this variety has found many fans in China, while in Indonesia and Singapore, Musang King also fetches very high prices. I understand that each fruit can sell for up to RM300.
Indigenous varieties
Despite the recent popularity of new varieties, many local durian connoisseurs would still say that some of the local durians are even better than Musang King. Remember that Borneo is the centre of biodiversity and the variety of durian species attests to this.
However, changes do occur during cultivation, especially when new cultivars are being produced under local conditions, be it the weather, soil or farming practices. Sometimes the reasons why the changes occur still require further analysis.
The state’s Department of Agriculture has promoted several varieties of indigenous for commercial production. These are the Durian Kuning (Durio graveolens) and Durian Nyekak (Durio kutejensis) species.
The Durian Kuning is normally found in the northern region of Sarawak, in Limbang Division, especially in the lowland to undulating hills mixed with dipterocarp forest. It is a tall forest tree of around 50 metres.
Its white flowers are borne in large clusters. These develop into fruits of various sizes ranging from 500 grams to around 11/2kg. The fruits are covered with sharp long spines. The aril is most striking in colour, texture, fragrance and taste.
The colour of the flesh ranges from yellow to crimson red with all the hues of orange between these two main colours. The texture of the flesh is very fine, soft, slightly dry and fairly sweet with all the characteristics of an ‘almond’ flavoured aroma.
Durian Nyekak are found growing wild in northern and central Sarawak in dipterocarp forest. The tree is small to medium in size – with a full height of 20 metres – with low branching. The bright crimson red flowers are borne in clusters.
The fruit is generally round and ovoid with blunt or short spines. Fruit size is only about 1kg in a light green shade when immature. This changes to a golden yellow upon ripening.
The aril is yellow to deep orange. Its quality is variable and selected clones have a sweet taste and fragrance. The texture is soft, very fine and smooth.
So are you a fan of Musang King or are our state’s indigenous varieties of durian still what you crave for every durian season?
Do send me an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.
Happy gardening.