Heavenly Durians of the North

This is the time. The durian season is here now. Durian lovers swear by their momma's names that the best durians in Malaysia are from Penang. People have different tastebuds & naturally, different likings over different durian species. However being durian fanatic myself, fully agreed Penang durians are definitely among da best out there, if not da best.

Durian hunting trip to Penang has been made an annual pilgrimage trip for me & my buddies for the past 2 years. Due to massive publicity over its Balik Pulau durians, durians from Penang are naturally pricier compared to other local species when sold at KL. Only the King & the best of em' all, Musang King is pricier.

Penang people are known for their humorous teases on local political figures/actresses etc. The fancy names given to local Penang species explain it all. Here, we have species named after politicians Lim Guan Eng & Koh Tsu Koon, actress Lin Feng Jiao. Besides, there are also catchful names such as Xiao Hong (Little Red), Ang He (Red Prawn), Sim Kua (Heart/Jantung), Sultan, Che Sin (Green Skin) & many others.

Why the name of the persons? This is da best part. Lin Feng Jiao durian species have beautiful features outside but rather bittersweet in taste, reflecting the life of a woman behind the Asia's most popular Chinese actor, Jackie Chan. Being politically sarcastic & funny at the same time, there's Lim Guan Eng durian breed, which has big sized seeds while Koh Tsu Koon durian breeds have small sized seeds. Seed is pronounced as "hoot" in Hokkien, which also carries meaning of gut in English, or rather the laymen term, the "balls" to do stuffs. Those who understand Hokkien always ended up laughing loudly whenever I tell this. Showcasing below the best of my conquests:-

Hong Har (Cantonese) / Ang He (Hokkien) / Udang Merah (Malay) / Red Prawn

 

Khun Poh

 

Che Sin (Hokkien) / Green Skin

Bak Yu (Hokkien) / Pork Oil

 

IOI

Kapri

Sultan

Lin Feng Jiao

Basically, durian season in Penang starts from end of May till August. However, the demand is so great that farmers has started to expand their plantations to have another durian season at end of October till December. Pricing differs according to breeds n demands. Naturally, highly demanded durians such as Musang King can fetch high price till RM 30.00/kg in Penang (still cheaper than the ones in Klang Valley). Others like Red Prawn, Hor Lor fetch price till RM 20.00/kg.

During the season, its being sold all over the island. No way u can miss any corner without sighting anyone selling durians. Best place to go is of course back to the origin, Balik Pulau. I frequent this place called Anjung Indah (a sort of lookout point on the hill of Balik Pulau). Coordinate: 5°21'0"N 100°15'7"E which is more of a one stop centre for u to have a taste of Penang's best known durians. Slightly pricier than other places but plenty of varieties to choose from if ur not keen on travelling all over the places.

Which one is the best of the best in Penang?? My pick is Red Prawn/Ang Heh anytime. It has that distinctive fragrant aroma of pandan when u have the first taste of it. Only Penang's Red Prawn breeds has this aroma, probably due to the soil factor in Balik Pulau, not the ones planted anywhere else. Creamy & big flesh for a seed. Those who dislike bitter-tasted durians will love this one for its sweet taste. Don't be fooled by sellers bringing Red Prawns from other states.

So, pack your bags to have a feast up north during the coming season. Doubters will be converted into lovers. My succession rate of converting non-durian lovers to one are almost 100% after bringing people to Penang for a try....:)