Penang Durian  

Posted by Jack's Blog in ,

Durian - The Sensational
"King Of The Fruit"

“You should wash your hands using the water
poured from a durian skin. It will remove the
smell from your fingers," urged Mr. Teh, my
neighbour who accompanied me on a durian
feast at Balik Pulau.

We had a satisfying breakfast like no other
amidst the natural surrounding of a durian
orchard.


Mr Nah Gin Guan, the tenant’s son of the durian's orchard, was skillful in opening the
durian. With a sharp cleaver, every single fruit was pried open at the tail end where
the indicative slicing lines met.

Come durian season, for as far as I can remember, my father however, deploying a
stick-stump approximately eight inches long with a slightly sharp end to do the same
job.

I on the other hand, would now prefer the much safer and easier method – to get
the durian seller to open part of the fruit for me. This way, I am certain of the
quality I am paying for. In the past there were times when the inner skin merged
and did not give way at the trust of the knife – the tussle sometime drew blood.

The durian tree (Bombaceae Durio zibethius L.Murr) is native to moist equatorial
forests in Southeast Asia. It can grow to 100 feet tall and produces heavy, thick-
skinned, brownish-green, soccer-ball size fruits covered with sharp thorns.
“Durian” come from the word “duri” translates from Bahasa Malaysia as thorn.

Therefore durian, by name is the thorny fruit. Which indeed, it is.

Each individual fruit is divided into five compartments, each containing a brown seed
covered by a sac of thick, creamy pulp with an aroma that is legendary.
A popular believe is that the older the tree, the better the fruit. Durian from an older
tree will bear fruits having a wrinkled texture with smooth, thick, creamy flesh that
taste sweeter and have a stronger fragrance and flavour.

Usually, seed trees will start bearing fruit after
about five to six years. Sometimes, four to
five-year old trees can start to flower. The
mature durian tree needs at least three to
four weeks of dry weather to produce flowers
to fill its branches.

One month late, the flower will be in full
bloom. Three months after that, the durian
fruit will start to ripen and drop.

The “champion” durians which we savoured
that morning were from trees that were more
than 40 years old amounting to about 65 per
cent to the trees at the orchard.

According to Mr Nah, initial yield may be 10 to
40 fruits for the first year of “flowering” to
about 100 fruits for the sixth year. Yield of up
to 200 fruits is common after the 10th year of
fruiting.

Each durian season, this 30 acres orchard (which combines two farms) in Balik Pulau
can produce as many at 15,000 durians.

Durian generally bear one crop a year but may “flower” twice a year if influenced by
the right conditions. Normally, durian fruits are allowed to drop when they are ripe.
However, the fruits may also be harvested from the tree, as is a common practise in
Thailand. By harvesting the shelf life could be extended from nine to 11 days
compared to three or four days when allowed to drop from the tree.

Durian generally bear one crop a year but may “flower” twice a year if influenced by
the right conditions. Normally, durian fruits are allowed to drop when they are ripe.
However, the fruits may also be harvested from the tree, as is a common practise in
Thailand. By harvesting the shelf life could be extended from nine to 11 days
compared to three or four days when allowed to drop from the tree.



Nets are tied over some expanse of
the ground to protect good quality
durians from damage


Grading the durians by quality
and size before it is transported to
the Balik Pulau market for sale



Penang durians, considered King of Fruits, are famous throughout Malaysia for their pleasant taste and aroma. It is no wonder that Penang people who work elsewhere in Malaysia return during durian seasons, bringing with them friends to enjoy this wonderful experience of durian feasts, usually held in one of the many durian orchards located on the southwest side of Penang Island, centering on the town of Balik Pulau.

On this particular AsiaExplorers website, instead of describing yet another destination, let me introduce you to some of the best durians in Malaysia. The best durians in Malaysia come from the south and southwest hilly regions of Penang Island, from places like Balik Pulau, Sungai Pinang and Pantai Acheh, where the fertile hill soil, temperature and rainfall makes it ideal for durian cultivation. While I can't say I am a seasoned connoisseur of durians, I can say I am enjoying myself tasting good durians. Good durians are like fine wine. Those who know durians will tell you - as I would - that every durian from every durian tree tastes slightly different. Whether they are sweet or bittersweet, you can tell the difference between good durians and the also-runs. As such, durians are not like any other fruits, certainly not comparable to apples, papayas or mangosteen.

"That thory thing." So goes its name in Malay. All across the Malay archipelago in Asia, the durian reigns supreme as King of Fruits. An acquired taste, the durian is to Southeast Asia what foie gras, truffles and caviar are to the West. Western description of durian almost always contains words like "smelly", "damp socks", "odoriferous", and other unpleasant adjectives to pin down what many in the Malay archipelago would describe as fragrant aroma. Yes, aroma. To many Asians, few fruit smells as nice, and I for one can't for the world of me compare it to smelly socks.

Appreciating the durian

Durians should preferably be taken fresh, that is to say, direct from the fruit, as soon as it is opened. That's when the aroma is strongest. Yes indeed, to truly appreciate the durian, you need to appreciate its aroma as well. Refrigerated durians simply can't compare.

Depending on the texture of the flesh, you can bite on it, chew it, suck it or lick it. Some are as soft as molten chocolate, while others are as hard as cheese. From my experience, I find that Malaysians generally prefer the soft variety that drops from the tree whereas the Thais prefer their durians hard, often plucked. As such, soft durians fetch a higher price than hard ones.

The Taste of Durian

The taste of durians ranges from sweet to bitter, and in the case of durians, bitter does not immediate translate as bad. Some are dry, others creamy, like ice cream or chocolate. Good durians usually have a substantial amount of flesh, or body, between the skin and the seed. The flesh could be separated from the seed by the inner skin which itself is as tasty as the flesh.

The Durian Flesh

The appearance takes second place to the taste, but is still an important consideration, and goes some way in determining the price of the durians. Golden or orange flesh are the highest in demand, and secures the highest price, especially if it is accompanied with a great taste. However, some of the tastiest durians are not those with the darkest colour, but can be almost creamy white.


A Durian Feast

If you are fortunate to attend a feast of branded durians, do not gorge on the fruits. You are wasting good durians, and after consuming from over six or seven different fruits, you are unlikely to be able to differentiate or remember the taste of one from the other. You wouldn't even recall the name of your favourite. To learn the different fruits you are tasting, this is my recommendation of what you should do:

Get a plate, cutlery, a bowl of water to wash your fingers, tissue paper, drinking water, notepad and pen. Ensure that the vendor identifies the durian as he opens it for you. Write down its name on your notepad and number it. Transfer one piece to the plate. Don't start eating yet. Wait till the vendor has opened all the variety of durians and identified them - naturally you'd need sufficient participants to be able to taste that many durians, so it's a good idea to attend one of AsiaExplorers Durian Feasts. We have held regular durian feasts since 2004, and although many want to join our feasts, I limit the number to just about 35 or so per trip.

By the time the vendor has opened all the different durians, you should have a good selection on your plate, all identified and numbered. Now you can start enjoying your durian experience. Durians should be taken with your fingers. Try a bit of one, then wash your fingers, dry them, and try another. In this way, you can tell the taste of different durians apart. Jot notes to help you remember the difference. You will quickly learn what type of durian you like, whether the sweet or bittersweet ones. Some have the slightly fermented aroma of liquor to it. These are all good durians that should be appreciated at its fullest.



A selection of branded durians in a plantation in Balik Pulau, the durian centre of Penang

The following is a selection of branded durians which I photographed during the 2004 and 2006 AsiaExplorers Durian Feasts.






D11

"Number Eleven" is a very popular durian in the 70's. It has creamy yellow flesh with a pleasant taste and a subtle smell. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004.

D604

The D604 was first cultivated by the late Mr. Teh Hew Hong of Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau. The flesh is quite sweet, and has some "body" to it as the seed is small. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004.


D600

This durian originates in Sungai Pinang in Balik Pulau. The flesh has a bittersweet taste to it, with a touch of sourness. The one that I documented is a bit hard. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004.

D700

The flesh is darker than D600, like chrome yellow. Also slightly hard. Crispy, but the smell is not very strong.


Ang Sim (Red Heart)

Ang Sim is a durian with flesh which is quite soft and very sweet, and dark yellow in colour. It also has a nice aroma. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004 and again in 2006.

Khun Poh

This durian takes the name of the late Mr Lau Khun Poh, who first budded it. Khun Poh has beautiful orangy flesh with a slightly bitter-sweet taste and a heavy aroma. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004.


Hor Loh (Water Gourd Durian)

The flesh of the Hor Loh is very soft, dry and quite bitter. It has a sharp smell to it. Hor Loh was first cultivated at the Brown orchard of Sungai Ara. It got its name from its appearance resembling a "Hor Lor" pumpkin. If the durian hits the ground hard when it falls, the flesh tends to be bitter thereafter. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004 and again in 2006.

Ang Heh (Red Prawn Durian)

Ang Heh originates from Pondok Upeh, Balik Pulau, and has a round-shaped husk. The orange reddish flesh is highly aromatic, very soft with a bitter-sweet taste. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004 and again in 2006.


Xiao Hung (Little Red Durian)

Xiao Hung, whose name means "Little Red One," originates in Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau. The flesh has a bittersweet taste to it, with a touch of sourness. The one that I tasted for this write-up is a bit hard. There are only one or two seeds per section, but the flesh is thick. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004.

Yah Kang (Centipede Durian)

Yah Kang is one of my favourite durians. Although its flesh is whitish, the taste is superb, milky, like very sweet, melting chocolate. The name "yah kang" means centipede, and accounts for the number of centipedes found at the foot of the tree, hence giving it the rather unusual name. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004 and again in 2006.


Bak Eu (Pork Fat Durian)

Bak Eu has a slightly acidic aroma. The flesh is whitish while the taste is quite bitter but nice. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004.

The following are some of the durians I tried the first time at Peng Siew Durian orchard in Titi Serong, Balik Pulau, on the 2006 AsiaExplorers Durian Feast, on 17 June, 2006.

D17

D17 is dark cream flesh. The taste is slightly dry but sweet. It is a tasty durian. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006.


Coupling

This durian is gets its unusual name because it looks like two durians joined together, one big and one small. When split open, you almost thought the two halves belong to two different durians. Coupling has whitish flesh which is slightly dry but tastes good. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006.

Ooi Kyau (Tumeric Durian)

The name Ooi Kyau (tumeric) describes the colour of the bright yellow flesh of this durian. It is very sweet and tasty. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006.



Chaer Phoy (Green Skin Durian)

Chaer Phoy is shaped like a small canteloupe. The skin is bright green, giving it the name which means "green skin". Chaer Phoy has creamy white flesh which is a bit dry, not too sweet but tasty. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006.

Ang Jin (Red Yoke Durian)

As the name suggests, Ang Jin Durian has deep orange flesh. It is very sweet and tasty. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006.




Lin Fong Jiau

This durian is named after Lin Fong Jiau, aka Mrs Jackie Chan. I wonder whether it is indicative of the relationship of the celebrity couple, for Lin Fong Jiau is a bittersweet durian, for too bitter for my liking. The flesh is whitish and wet. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006.



The following durian is what I tried the first time at Bao Sheng orchard in Titi Kerawang, on the 2007 AsiaExplorers Durian Feast, on 24 May, 2007.


To judge the quality of the durian, there are three important criteria to remember.
The first is the appearance of the durian. The colour must be even ranging from pale
white to golden yellow, and to orange. Second is the aroma. It must have a strong
or a light smell. Thirdly, the texture – it should be creamy wet or creamy dry, sweet
or bitter sweet. The flesh must be smooth and fully cover the whole seed.

Different people crave different varieties. The sweeter type of durians are yellowish
and creamy in texture. This include high-sounding names like Hor Loh, Lipan, Green
Skin, D2, D15, D95 and Kun Poh.

The optional bitter sweet type are usually pale in colour reminding me of a blue-and-
black pinch would that is easing off. According to Mr Nah, the orange coloured
variety (e.g. "ang heh" literally means red prawn) are usually not as sweet as the
yellowish type. His orchard has as many as 20 popular varieties of "branded" durians
and more that 50 other types waiting to be gived a name.


Text and Picture Information comes from

http://www.penang-vacations.com/

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 11:07 PM and is filed under , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the comments feed .

1 comments

Anonymous  

jack, leave u comment, u belanja me eat durian k?
hehe..
nt bad, add oil o!!

10/10/2008 04:12:00 AM

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