- Kelvin
6 Most Popular Durian Cultivars in Singapore
1. Mao Shan Wang (D197)
aka:
- Musang King
- Wang Zhong Wang
Mao Shan Wang, (Cat Mountain King), also known as Musang King or Raja Kunyit in Malaysia, is undoubtedly, the most well-known and popular cultivar both in Singapore and Malaysia.
Mao Shan Wang durian boasts a strong and bold aroma, with high incidence of sharp bitter tones.
Shape: May come round or oblong.
Weight: Various sizes from 1.2 - 3.3kg
Colour: The flesh colour is deep yellow.
Taste: It is sticky and extremely creamy. It's like a natural dessert. Bittersweet. Bold and strong smell.
Seed Size: About 40% of the seeds are flat.
Yield (Flesh with seed / Gross wt): 22% - 32% average
Price: $15 - $28 per kg.
In Singapore, besides buying Mao Shan Wang for personal indulgences, it is common for many Singaporeans to buy durians as a gift for their loved ones.
2. Jin Feng (D198)
Legend has it that Jin Feng is named after the founding farmer's wife.
Based on our records, Jin Feng is probably the second most popular cultivar in Singapore.
Shape: Mostly rounded.
Weight: Very light. Thin husked. Weighs between 0.8kg - 1.3kg on average.
Colour: Its flesh is off-white in colour.
Taste profile: Sweet with high incidence of bitter tone. May also contain alcoholic notes (if you're lucky)
Seed size: Very small seed
Overall yield: Extremely high yield. ~ 38%
Price: $14 - $19 / kg
3. Red Prawn (D175)
This cultivar originates in Penang. And due to its popularity, the variety was brought to the state of Johor more than 15 years ago and now it is widely available in different parts of Johor as well.
Red prawn availability is typically very short, probably only 3 to 4 weeks in a season.
Shape: Rugby shaped
Weight: 1.4kg - 2.8kg
Colour: Light salmon pinkish flesh colour
Taste: Floral fragrant. Sweet. May have a sharp alcoholic punch at times.
Seed size: Large on average
Overall yield: 25% - 30%
Price: $11 - $14 per kg
4. Sultan D24 Durian
aka XO durian.
Be it XO or XXO or XXXO, they all belong to the D24 cultivar. The basic method to recognize a D24 cultivar is a iconic 5-cent coin shaped bottom and the thin sharp and long thorns.
Before Mao Shan Wang came into the scene, D24 used to dominate the durian market.
Shape: Could be round or oblong. Oblong shaped D24 tends to have a better flesh quality than perfectly round ones.
Weight: 1.2kg - 2.3kg
Colour: Milky white.
Taste: Smooth and pungent. Slight milky tone and may have a pleasant alcoholic taste at times.
Seed Size: Large
Overall yield: 28% - 32%
Price: $9 - $13 /kg
5. D13 Durian
D13s are widely grown throughout the state of Johor. One thing good about D13 durian is that you seldom get an under-ripen D13. Due to its overall small size, most D13s are even ripen throughout.
This cultivar is also often mis-sold as Red Prawn. So do take extra precaution when buying red prawn.
Shape: Mostly round. Frequently may have one side caved in.
Weight: 0.8kg - 1.7kg. This cultivar has a low average weight.
Colour: Deep orange flesh colour.
Taste: Mostly sweet, soft and runny flesh. Has a slight nutty taste and sometimes may be bitter as well.
Seed size: Large
Overall yield: Medium ~ 28%
Price: $9 - $13 per kg
6. Tekka D160
aka Green Bamboo
This cultivar is for a specific group of durian lovers only. Not everybody likes its taste. Tekka has a unique floral smell that attracts a very small subset of durian lovers.
Shape: Oblong with a ridge in the middle of the durian.
Weight: 1.5kg to 3.3kg
Colour: Brownish orange flesh colour.
Taste: Bold flavoured. Floral Scent. May be extremely bitter at times.
Seed size: Mixture of large and small seed.
Overall yield: Low to medium 23% - 30%
Price: $14 - $17 per kg
Conclusion:
And there you have it: The Top 6 durian cultivars by sales volume in 99 Old Trees. If you have any additional information to share, or if you think there are any inaccurate information, please do feel free to leave a comment or email me.
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