By: Hedy Khoo
PUBLISHED JUN 8, 2019, 4:00 AM SGT
SINGAPORE - It was love at first bite for durian lover Adeline Siow when she first tasted the S17 durian last December.
After waiting half a year for the current durian season, the 44-year-old operations manager was at fruit and vegetable seller The Durian Tree in Bukit Batok East Avenue 3 last Tuesday (June 4) to buy five S17 durians.
Madam Siow, who paid $96, says: "For seasoned durian lovers like myself who like very bitter-tasting durians, the S17 is a value-for-money alternative to Mao Shan Wang."
S17 was priced at $12 a kg at The Durian Tree that day, while Mao Shan Wang cost $17 a kg.
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| Black Gold - a type of Mao Shan Wang grown at high altitudes - offers even more complexity and alcoholic pungency for those who love bitter durians. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO |
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| Cultivars such as the Golden Phoenix (pictured) are not as widely cultivated as Mao Shan Wang and are seasonal, so the durian season is a good time to try them.ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO |
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| Known for its pronounced bitterness, the S17 durian is not a new cultivar but has risen in popularity among durian lovers in the last three years. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO |
Madam Siow, who spent $202 on eight Mao Shan Wang durians just a few days earlier, adds: "I love Mao Shan Wang, but it is too costly to eat it all the time ."
Known for its pronounced bitterness, the S17 durian is not a new cultivar but has risen in popularity among durian lovers in the last three years.
The Durian Tree's owner, Mr Andy Kwang, 50, says the S17 he sells is from Bekok in Johor and there, S17 is more popular than Mao Shan Wang among the locals.
While Mao Shan Wang remains the undisputed top choice among durian fans this season, other popular cultivars are the S17, Golden Phoenix and Black Gold - all bitter breeds.
Mr Collin Chee, 52, founder of Spikes of Love, which organises durian appreciation events and is on a mission to build a community of durian lovers, observes that these cultivars became popular in the last three to four years.
He says: "Everyone wants Mao Shan Wang, but the more discerning durian lovers are moving beyond Mao Shan Wang and looking for other cultivars such as Golden Phoenix. There are people who find that they prefer these cultivars to Mao Shan Wang."
Mr Chee notes that the Golden Phoenix is popular among female durian lovers.
The price is on a par with Mao Shan Wang so it is not cheap, but it offers a different experience, he says.
"The seeds are small and a compact durian of about 1kg in size can render up to 20 seeds."
Like Mao Shan Wang, it is also creamy and bitter.
Mr Chee says his sister, aunt and mother always request for Golden Phoenix durians each time the season comes round.
Cultivars such as the Golden Phoenix are not as widely cultivated as Mao Shan Wang and are seasonal, so the durian season is a good time to try them.
Black Gold - a type of Mao Shan Wang grown at high altitudes - offers even more complexity and alcoholic pungency for those who love bitter durians. The prices for Black Gold are currently $21 a kg.
Durian prices can change day to day.
In Thailand, a treasured durian fruit of the kanyao variety - the most expensive in the world - sold for a staggering 1.5 million baht at an auction.
Mr Chee advises customers to try a variety of breeds.
"Eating durians is also about having an open mind. Think of eating durians like wine-tasting. When you have a variety, you can draw comparisons and find out more about what you like."
Durian retailer 99 Old Trees in Owen Road has launched durian-tasting sessions, which are available until Aug 31. The sessions are priced at $48 a person until June 20 and $60 a person after that.
There is only one session a day, which lasts up to an hour and features six types of durians.
The director of 99 Old Trees, Mr Kelvin Tan, 34, says the tasting sessions are aimed at helping consumers understand the unique characteristics of the featured durian cultivars.
Where possible, his sessions may feature unusual cultivars that are not easily available on the market here such as the D135, a creamy sweet durian which he tasted for the first time at the preview of his tasting session.
"Some of these durians that we feature are from the backyards of durian plantation owners and not available for sale," he says.
"There are over 200 durian cultivars from Malaysia. It is interesting to taste different durians and decide for yourself if you like them."
Another durian cultivar that may show up in his tastings, depending on availablity, is the Black Thorn, which is native to Penang and currently enjoying much hype in Malaysia.
Mr Tan says it takes more than 20 hours for durians from Penang to reach Singapore, and the Black Thorn is in such demand in Malaysia that it is difficult to get a regular supply.
He says from now to next week, there will be more Mao Shan Wang durians from Pahang and D13 and D101, which are sweeter varieties, from Johor.
From mid-June to early July, consumers can expect to see more of Golden Phoenix from Johor and D24 from Pahang, while the Mao Shan Wang supply from both states are expected to dip slightly.
Mr Tan reckons that from late July to mid-August, there will be more Mao Shan Wang and D24 from Pahang.
He says: "With the durian season in full swing, this is really the time to taste a variety of durians."
Mr Kelvin Tan, director of durian retailer 99 Old Trees in Owen Road, and Mr Collin Chee, founder of Spikes of Love, which organises durian appreciation events, share tips on how to buy durians:
1. Tell the durian seller your preferences in flavour, texture and size of durian. Do you prefer durians with small seeds or large seeds? Tell him if you want to eat bitter, sweet or bittersweet durians. Or do you prefer a more runny or creamy texture? Let him know if you want a small, medium or large fruit. Small seeds do not necessarily mean the durian is of higher quality.
2 . To sound like a seasoned durian lover, ask where they are from. Generally, durians from Pahang are pricier than those from Johor. Those grown at higher altitudes in Pahang cost more. Durians from old trees of more than 20 to 30 years old are also more expensive.
3 . Check the fruit before buying. Ask the seller to open it up so that you can see the flesh. Some durians may be worm-infested or they may not be evenly ripe. If the durian is tasteless, unripe or worm-infested, ask the seller to change the fruit. Ripe durians should have a knocking sound when you shake it. If you want to check out the aroma, smell the side of the durian, not its base.
4. Check the weight of the durian. This prevents any misunderstanding or argument over the price.
5. Eat durians in sequence. Start with milder-tasting durians like D101 and D13 and save the more intense-tasting ones like Mao Shan Wang for the last. If you start off with the more intense-tasting ones, other durians you taste subsequently will seem bland in comparison.
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