My favourite durians of all time
The durian has been proclaimed as been unanimously proclaimed as the “King of All Fruits” by people all over the world, due to its strong taste, which also polarises the people’s opinion of it. There are only lovers and haters of the fruit, and none in between. I would think that it is one of the quintessential exports of our South East Asia Region, with most of it being exported from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia as well. For us Singaporeans, most of our favourite durians come from Malaysia itself, with familiar varieties like mao shan wang 猫山旺 coming to mind immediately. Nevertheless, mao shan wang is just one of the numerous breeds of durians that have recently gained popularity over the last few years. One reason why durians are so popular could be due to the fact that durians taste vastly different from durian to durian, which leads to a surprise factor that keeps people coming back for more.
Given my expertise in durian eating, which i think is pretty substantial considering that my family drops a small fortune on it every season, I think that I should give a review on the varieties of durian that we usually consume.
Jin Feng – 金凤 (Golden Phoenix)
One of the lesser known durians, sold only by some shops and originates from Johor, just across the Singapore Strait. These durians are usually smaller in size, rarely exceed the length of your hand. Jin Feng durians are usually very consistent in taste, with some stronger tasting and some weaker tasting
- Price: $15-20 per kg
- Appearance: Very light yellow colour
- Taste: A mild creamy and bitter flavour, very pleasant and enjoyable. Not as strong tasting as a Mao Shan Wang.
- Texture: Firm and dry
- Notable traits: Really small seeds and paper thin shells. this durian would provide you the most yield for you money. These durians all have nice shapes generally as well, ensuring that there would be as many sections of flesh as possible.
XO Durian
An old and well known staple of the durian family with a self explanatory name. These durians are often small to medium size. While its name and various online descriptions have suggested that the XO durian just present a hint of an alcoholic taste, this is not often true, and you still have to “get lucky” with the durian. The taste and texture of XO durians vary widely, making it very inconsistent to judge or predict. However, the taste of a good XO durian is unbeatable due to the delicious complexity of flavours. This is one of my family’s favourite varieties, and we would definitely consider it everytime we see it.
- Price: $14-18 per kg
- Appearance: Flesh looks wrinkled, a light yellow hue similar to Jin Feng durians.
- Taste: From borderline tasteless to complex bitterness mixed with alcoholic notes (heavenly!)
- Texture: On the moist side. Some durians could also be too watery, which severely impacts the whole experience.
Mao Shan Wang – 猫山王
Also known as Musang King or MSW for short. This is by far the most popular durian consumed in Singapore, and almost 90% of durian stores would stock it at any one time. Mao Shan Wang ticks off all the boxes: Creamy texture, a tantalising colour of orange, bitter flavour and of course, small seeds. All of these are hallmarks of a great tasting durian that would be worth your money. On top of all those stellar qualities, Mao Shan Wang tend to be very consistent in taste across durians, ensuring a delicious experience every single time. But the consistency of Mao Shan Wang is also its downfall. Personally, I feel that it removes the element of surprise, which is all part of the fun of buying and opening durians. Eating too much of the same flavoured durians at a single go tends to be “boring”.
- Price : $18-22 per kg
- Appearance: Dark yellow to orange flesh, brightly coloured
- Taste: Very creamy and tasty, varying in bitterness.
- Texture: More watery than a Jin Feng durian.
There is a variation of MSW durians that have garnered a seperate name for itself: Wang Zhong Wang (皇中皇) Durians. These are the strongest smelling and tastiest of the MSW variants. The smell is much more potent than regular durians, and the flavour of the flesh is extremely bitter and flavourful. Some people, even durian lovers, may find the Wang Zhong Wang too strong tasting for their liking. However, this is my absolute most favourite durian of all time, because of the deep complexity of bitter flavours. Unfortunately, these durians are not found regularly, and if they were, they tend to command the highest prices, even up to $30 for a kilogram. Still I believe that everyone should try it at least once to know what it tastes like. Who knows, you might just never find a normal MSW quite so satisfying ever again