#d197

Now may be the best time for Durian (榴莲) lovers to indulge in the king of fruits. 🥰 Prices of all varieties of durian have fallen by more than half, hitting a 10-year record low, attributed to the bumper harvest during the last durian season of the year (2025), leading to a glut in supply. The prized Mao Shan Wang (猫山王), also known as Musang King in Malaysia 🇲🇾 and Singapore 🇸🇬 have seen prices plunged to between S$5 and S$11 a kilogram. Good news for us consumers but not so good for durian plantation owners.

My youngest brother bought us these two boxes of Durians (榴莲) knowing our love for the thorny fruit. Didn’t ask him the cultivar of the durians but based on the bittersweet taste and small flat seeds, my guess would be Mao Shan Wang (猫山王). The second box of durians are however creamy and sweet, the kind mum like best. 😘 Anyway, those durians in the first photograph are Wild Durians from Borneo which aren’t as strong smelling, nor does it taste good as the specially bred and cultivated durians.

This tub of Mao Shan Wang (猫山王) durians was transferred from the freezer to the chiller to defrost overnight. I specifically told mum I wanted to take photos before eating them, but mum had conveniently forgotten about what I said and had already dug into it. 😅 As the seller is staying nearby, she delivered it straight to my place so I avoided having to transport it myself. You do know that durians are banned in Singapore’s public transport like MRT trains and buses, many hotels and a lot of air-conditioned buildings also prohibit them.

This year the Durian (榴莲) Season brings bountiful harvest of good quality durians especially Mao Shan Wang (猫山王). With prices varying from S$6 to S$12 a kilogram, it’s no wonder we have been indulging on the king of fruits. Majority of the durian sold here are from Malaysia 🇲🇾 and they are of the best quality. One might also occasionally find Thai durians, but these tend to be less sweet, less pungent, and firmer in texture. Great for those who can’t handle the usual “heavenly aroma”. 🤣

In my earlier post, I mentioned that my younger brother bought Mao Shan Wang (猫山王) for us. So, sis and her friend decided to get the durians from the same place the next day. My brother neglected to inform us that the durians are S$12 per kilogram if one purchase under 10 kilograms. Ended up sis also bought more than 10 kilograms to qualify for the S$11 special pricing. The seller opened the durians and packed them into three large boxes and one smaller box. Note: This is not the stall sis bought the durians from.

While me and mum are out on our weekend dine and grocery shopping, my younger brother messaged me asking if we are home. He bought Mao Shan Wang (猫山王) durians and will deliver them over to our place later in the evening. He said it cost S$11 per kilogram and he bought a total of 10 kilograms for us and his family. The total weight includes the whole durian, meaning the thorny shells too in case someone thinks it just the fruits inside. The flesh is creamy and bittersweet plus the seeds are small and flat.

The Musang King or Mao Shan Wang (猫山王) was originally known as Raja Kunyit, meaning "Turmeric King", a reference to the fruit's turmeric-coloured deep yellow flesh. In 1993, Raja Kunyit was registered with the Malaysian department of agriculture and assigned the code number D197. The owner of this clone was a Mr Wee Chong Beng from Tanah Merah, Kelantan. The name Musang King was derived from the region of Gua Musang where the clone was first planted.

Musang King is a Malaysian cultivar (cultivated variety) of durian (Durio zibethinus). Prized for its unusual combination of bitter and sweet flavours, Musang King is the most popular variety of durian (榴莲) in both Malaysia 🇲🇾 and Singapore 🇸🇬, where it is known as Mao Shan Wang (猫山王), also known as Cat Mountain King and commands a price premium over other varieties. Sis and her friend bought five fruits at S$16 per kilogram.