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All photos courtesy of Straits Times
- Mao Shan Wang
Aka: Musang King, Butter Durian
Place of Origin: Pahang, Kelatan and Johor
Shape: Round or oblong
Seed Size: Usually flat
Colour: Bright Yellow
Taste: Creamy, Bittersweet, Strong smell
Mao Shan Wang is one of the most popular types of durian and known as the ‘crème de la crème’ of durians. It is said to be the richest and best-tasting durian to ever be bred. It is often more expensive as it is a premium tier durian. To identify a Mao Shan Wang, look at the fruit’s bottom and find the distinctive star shape.
- D24
Aka: Sultan
Place of Origin: Pahang, Johor and Cameron Highlands
Shape: Round or oblong
Seed Size: Large
Colour: Pale Yellow
Taste: Creamy and Bitter
This was the most famous breed of durian in the 1990s. It has a pale yellow flesh and the thorns are often clustered together on its greenish-yellow shell. They are known for their creamy texture with a distinctive bitter-sweet taste.
- XO
Place of Origin: Johor, Genting and Cameron Highlands
Shape: Round or oblong or even starfruit-shaped
Seed Size: Various seed sizes
Colour: Pale Yellow
Taste: Intense, Bitter, Alcohol taste
The XO durian is bitter with its famed alcohol taste. Its taste is cultivated
through an extended period of fermentation inside its shell. It is usually
smaller and the husk has a brownish-green colour. The flesh is watery thick and has a very pale yellow colour.
- Golden Phoenix
Aka: Jin Feng
Place of Origin: Pahang, Johor and Cameron Highlands
Shape: Rounded
Seed Size: Small seeds
Colour: Pale Yellowish-White
Taste: Creamy, Subtle bittersweet aftertaste
The Golden Phoenix is a pale-coloured durian with very soft and wet flesh. It is smaller in size which makes it more affordable than the Mao Shan Wang as well. The taste is usually sweet, bitter, creamy and slightly less pungent as compared to Mao Shan Wang.
- Red Prawn
Aka: Hong Xia
Place of Origin: Pahang, Kelatan and Johor
Shape: Round or oblong
Seed Size: Big seeds
Colour: Orangey-red
Taste: Sticky and sweet
The Red Prawn durian is perfect for those with a sweet tooth. The texture is creamy and has a very fruity sweet taste. The shells are thick and hard to open and has a dusky brown colour. The colour of the flesh is very different as it usually has an orange to red hue which makes it so distinctive.