Spike-tacular search for best durian
Cream of the crop: (From left) Loh and Lim admiring a variety of durian types in the competition held in Sungai Ara, Bayan Baru, Penang. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
GEORGE TOWN: The taste cannot be so overpoweringly sweet that a durian lover surrenders after just a few mouthfuls.
The pulp should be moist but not until it resembles yoghurt.
The size of the fruit should not be so large that it suggests the drawbacks of being overgrown, nor so small that it is likely to produce inferior arils.
So many factors must be weighed before a durian can be declared 'king', and about 50 durian orchard owners and sellers brought their best fruits to pit against one another in a durian competition here.
Dubbed the Sungai Ara Durian King Competition, chief judge Lim Keat Seong said the ideal size, based on the fruits' varieties, pulp texture and a balance between sweetness and pungent richness were essential in the judging process.
Lim, an officer in the state's Agriculture Department, noted that durians from specific regions possess a unique after-taste that contributes to their overall character, making this aspect significant in the judging process as well.
The competition featured three categories: Musang King, kampung, and hybrid.
The top three winners in each category received RM1,000, RM600 and RM300 respectively.
Durian entrepreneur Kenny Soong, 48, whose Tian Seng type durian was judged tops in the kampung durian category, said he never expected to win.
'There were so many other premium kampung durians in the competition; I am lucky and happy to win this,' he said.
Yap Lan Eng, 57, bagged first prize in the Musang King category, improving on her second placing in the same competition last year.
'I use organic fertiliser and I tend the durian trees with great care to get fruits of the highest quality,' she said.
Yap, who has been a durian farmer for over 25 years, said the winning durian came from her family's orchards, which span about 5ha.
Lee Chooi Seng, 65, was top in the hybrid category with a 'Cheh Pui' (Hokkien for green skin) clone.
'There were many competitors and I had no expectations of winning,' he remarked.
Lee said he relied on good organic fertiliser for his orchard in Bukit Sungai Ara, which has 200 trees.
The competition was organised for the third year, and run by Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Sin.
'Our main goal in organising this durian festival and competition is to promote Sungai Ara's durians,' he said.
Sim said many were unaware that Sungai Ara has 607ha of durian orchards, mostly held by small-scale farmers.
During the event, some 1,800kg of durians were served to almost 1,000 visitors.
Among the durian types that were available during the fiesta were Hor Lor, Ang Heh, Ang Jin, Bak Kia, Cheh Pui, and Black Thorn, among others.
Among the visitors were 82- year-old grandmother V. Pahpah and her granddaughter, M. Tanushri, 14. She said she wouldn't miss the chance to taste the variety of durians for free.
'If you were to buy hybrid or premium durians elsewhere, the price would easily exceed RM30 per fruit,' she said.
Friends Loh Jing Ting, 25, and Lim Ying Ying, 23, said they loved durians and were delighted to try some for free.
'It's not every day that we can feast like this,' said Loh.
Lim pointed out that the queue was long, but it was worth the wait.
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