jalan-jalan cari makan ke Bentong, Pahang

Hj Saari my roommate during Hajj had invited me to his house in Bentong a few times. I decided to pay him a visit with my family and had a good time (and a hearty meal) during our stay at his house. Tonnes of nasi minyak and various dishes plus a big helping of durian made me think .. well this is life :)

On our way back we stopped at Bentong town and I thought this could be the best time to look for the Musang King... one of the most expensive durian in town.. and I was not disappointed Its is quite tasty as it is best is I got it for about RM13/kg. Small seed and you 'll tonnes of the flesh in the mouth.

I was also offered the current durian craze... the XO durian... much cheaper at RM5/kg, it was gooooodddd.

The Musang king durian

Musang King, or Mau Shan Wang could be one of the most expensive durian around. At its peak the price may go up to RM35/kg.

what is Musang King durian?

"There are many varieties, with names like Red Prawn, D101, D13, D24, XO, D2 and also Bamboo Leg (Thraka), but the one that is much in demand now, even rising above all is the Musang King (Mao San Wong in Chinese). The taste of Malaysia’s Musang King had enamoured even Macau’s casino king Stanley Ho so much that he sent his personal jet to Singapore recently to buy 88 of this variety, worth about RM4,800! Ho gave 10 of the Musang King to his friend Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka Shing."

“The flesh is yellow, and it's creamy with a fragrance that lingers long in your mouth. The quality is consistent and you cannot find fault from one pulp to the other.”

"The Musang King is originally known as Durian Kunyit, deriving its name from the yellow colour of the turmeric. Its place of origin is said to be Gua Musang, Kelantan"

“there were different grades of the Musang King — the Super Grade or Grade 1 and Grade 2. The Grade 1, he said, were those from the old trees and which grow higher up in the mountains, while the lower Grade 2 were usually grown on a flatter terrain.”

Source: http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/8/7/central/6805195&sec=central

Shape Shell and Thorns : Tends to be a little odd shape. Rough/Tough looking shell, rough thick thorns. The split lines are rather distinctive, most have these visible brown lines running from the bottom upwards. Younger MSW tree tends to look greener while older tree tends to produce slightly brownish green durian. 

Ease in Opening : Very easy. Fruit tends to split open on its own after a few hours especially when weather is hot. That doesn't mean the fruit is not fresh. It's just the characteristic of the durian. 

Smell : The unopen fruit may have a faint smell. A very strong distinct smell may mean the fruit is a little over ripe. 

Flesh : Very nice yellow 

Texture : Thick and Sticky 

Taste : Some MSW has a spicy gingery feeling on the throat/nose. A good MSW has a strong pungent smell and taste. 

Seed size : Almost half the quantity's seeds are quite flat. 

Setback : Costlier as a good MSW weighs anything between 1.5-3kg. 

Overall : Value for money for bitter durian lovers.

source: http://simplydurian.blogspot.com/2010/05/mao-san-wang-cat-mountain-king.html

XO durian

Shape, Shell and Thorns : Durian appearance is quite normal, quite nice, a little similar to D24 shape.

Flesh : Creamy beige color.

Texture : A good XO tends to have soft and a little watery flesh. It is not over riped or exposed to too much heat that resulted in the watery flesh. It is just the character.

Seeds : Usually mid to larger seeds, but equally much durian flesh.

Taste : Must try for bitter durian lovers. It is almost the most bitter durian. Bitterness may cause a mild numb feeling on the tongue.

Setback : Not much

Overall : Must try for bitter durian lovers.

source: http://simplydurian.blogspot.com/2010/05/xo.html