Delighting in the treasurers of durian varieties locally
WE have been in the midst of an abundant supply of local wild fruits. Those visiting local markets will surely find themselves bombarded with a wide range of exotic smells and interesting jungle fruits in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and colours.
Although we have over 70 varieties of jungle fruits, not many urban dwellers are familiar with their diverse flavour and textures, as well as potential health benefits.
Despite the fact that much of the state’s virgin jungles have been logged or transformed due to land development, our rural population has continued replanting these special species to ensure the future remains bright.
Thanks to the government’s efforts to set up a biodiversity centre in Kuching, there is hope that the fast disappearing natural treasures can be preserved. However, we also need to play our part to replant indigenous species for future generations.
With that in mind, I would like to look into various wild durian varieties not well tapped yet for plantation purposes. Who knows these genetic materials may be worth a fortune for our future research on better durian varieties in terms of taste, texture, resistance to pests or diseases. Durian Kulit Merah This species is known scientifically as Durio dulcis Becc. Trees of this durian are rather rare now and actually classified as Vulnerable under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list of threatened species. They used to commonly occur in lowland forests.
The medium-sized fruit is globose, with a dark red to dark brown red husk. The spines are long and not rigid like other varieties.
For this durian, the flesh is actually yellowish and soft, with a very sweet taste and strong smell. The seeds are chestnut brown in colour.
The fruits are rather difficult to open, so some prefer to cut it down the middle and get to the seeds by digging them out with their fingers. Durian Isu Known botanically as Durio oxleyanus, this fruit tends to be smaller than the normal durian. Its husk is greenish to yellow, or even deep yellow. Most of the fruits seen in the fruit markets are still green but ripe enough. Some open automatically on the tree. The spikes are long and at times curly.
The flesh is normally thin but very sweet and fragrant. Some with thicker flesh can be found in the northern part of Sarawak near Brunei. Hence they are also referred to as Durian Brunei.
These durians are high in potassium with 500mg per 100gm of flesh, and are also high in phosphorus (43mg per 100gm of flesh) and vitamin C (10mg per 100gm of flesh). Durian Ukak Known botanically as Durio kutejensis, this variety has real yellow husks and thorns, even when unripe on the tree. The tree has more branches on the lower part of the trunk. Better cultivars are planted in the northern part of the state in areas such as Miri and Limbang.
The fruit tends to be smaller than the normal durian and the average weight is about 1kg each. The spines are short and the husk will open easily upon ripening to display the yellow flesh inside.
Its taste is favourable to most as it tends to be drier with a better eating quality.
This variety is also high in potassium (362mg per 100gm flesh), phosphorus (25mg per 100gm of flesh), and vitamin C (15.9mg per 100gm of flesh). It is now one of the Department of Agriculture’s recommended varieties for planting. Durian Kura-Kura This variety known botanically as Durio testudinarum is found in lowland jungles. It is a medium sized tree with a knotty trunk. It has a strange habit of bearing fruits on the base of the trunk, which makes them easily reachable for picking without having to wait for the ripe fruits to drop from a great height like for other durian varieties.
The husks are always greenish in colour even when fully ripe. The fruits are very variable in size and quality. Some better quality trees can be found in the northern region such as Limbang Division. These produce larger fruits.
Some are small with only a thin membrane of flesh covering the seeds. As the flesh is watery and soft, it tends not to fetch a good market price.
When looking for durians, let’s not just look for the Musang King as there are so many local varieties with complex flavours, smells, textures, and colours. Appreciating our own local durian treasures should be made a priority as they could be our niche agricultural products with greater research.
Do send me an email if you have questions, comments, or suggestions.
Happy gardening.