New thorns in town? Here’s why Tupai King, other new durian varieties may be mislabelled
In each durian season, flashy names beckon customers. But are they the real deal or simply marketing ploys? The programme Talking Point finds out what durians are really being sold and how to avoid falling for thorny cash grabs.
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SINGAPORE: In the kingdom of fruits, the durian reigns supreme. But within its own ranks, there is no shortage of contenders vying for the season’s crown.
Few fruits boast such an array of commercially available varieties, from Mao Shan Wang to D24 to Red Prawn, as the durian.
Lately, it is newcomers like Tupai King and Black Thorn that have shaken up the market, at prices that could be 50 to 90 per cent higher than classics like Mao Shan Wang.
These new varieties have puzzled durian enthusiast Andrew Yeo, who has indulged in the spiky fruit nearly twice a week this season.
“The special thing is, when I finish the whole durian, there’s like an alcoholic taste,” said Talking Point host Diana Ser, who travelled to Penang for a tasting in 56-year-old Chew Chee Wan’s durian shop, Cap Tupai.
Chew, who was the first to cultivate the Tupai King and has a certificate from the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute proving that he registered the name, does not even display his signature durian in his shop.
It is too precious and scarce, with about a thousand produced each season — whilst Singapore’s total durian imports from Malaysia in peak season, which include Mao Shan Wang, is around 100 tonnes a day.
WATCH: New ‘premium’ durian varieties — Are they just Mao Shan Wang remarketed? (23:28)
The rarity of Tupai King drives up its price. Chew sells it at RM120/kg, which works out at around S$110 for a 3-kg durian.
And the reason for its rarity is that there are not many fruiting trees. He started promoting Tupai King and selling the durian saplings only in 2022. He also shared seedlings with a few farmer friends, which have not yielded fruit yet.
“Fruits that are grafted on old trees can bear fruits after three and a half years, and the fruits produced are of high quality,” said Chew, who has an 8.5-acre plantation and who grafted his first trees in 2004.
