Spoiled for choice: Customers looking at which variety of durian to buy at the Pulau Tikus market in George Town. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s “vintage durian clones”, which can only be found here, are priced at RM25 to RM35 per kg.
From the Ang Heh (Red Prawn) and Xiao Hong (Little Red) to the Capri, D11, Cheh Phoay (Green Skin) and many more, their prices are easier on the pockets than top shelf varieties like Black Thorn (about RM80 per kg) and Musang King (about RM50 per kg).
(Kampung durians, on the other hand, can go for as low as RM8 to RM10 per kg.)
Seller Yvonne Beh, 40, said prices were lower than last year and expected to drop even further in the coming month.
“The one that seems to be popular now is Capri (milky white, bulbous arils with an almost vanilla sweetness),” she said yesterday.
Beh, who runs a stall at the Pulau Tikus market here, said there was a steady supply coming out of Balik Pulau now, and sellers did not want to charge high prices because they wanted to sell their stock quickly to get fresh ones that drop daily.
She said business was good because they could sell off their morning stock by 11.30am and sell again in the evenings after restocking.
Jeff Chin, 50, whose stall offers clearly marked prices on a white board and on the boxes of packed durian arils, was confident that prices would drop further as the season progressed.
“Last year was more expensive but things were different then. Times are better now,” he said.
Although the Black Thorn was an eye-popping RM80 per kg at Chin’s stall, this variety was selling at about RM100 per kg last year.
Chin said most customers still leaned towards Musang King and Black Thorn for their “overpowering kick”.
“Even these (varieties) are cheaper now. Musang King was between RM50 and RM60 per kg, now you can get for RM45,” he said.
Chin said cheaper ones like Xiao Hong and D101, which go for about RM25 per kg, remained popular because people wanted to experience the different nuances in flavour, texture and aroma.
For housewife Mia Chan, 50, every variety is worth it as she wants to savour them all before heading back to England.
“Durians are the love of my life and it does not even matter what variety.
“I am back here after five years and I have been having it every day, sometimes twice a day.
“I do keep hydrated as it is considered a ‘heaty’ fruit but that does not deter me.
“I will be leaving on Sunday and will definitely have them several more times before I head home,” she said.
Chan considered her trip fortuitous because she did not purposely time it to match the durian season and was thrilled when it turned out that way.
Penang’s durians began dropping in the middle of this month and are expected to last till early August.
