Yummy season is coming soon

Yummy season is coming soon

Red Prawn and Black Thorn were among the species favoured by durian lovers, said Bao Sheng Durian Orchard owner Chang Teik Seng.

“The trees of these two species are much older, grown in the 1960s,” he explained.

The Balik Pulau durian is generally believed to be tastier due to the favourable weather conditions as the trees are planted on the hills and facing the sea.

The MyIPO is an agency under the purview of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.

Durian Rumah Batu Balik Pulau owner Tan Hock Hoe said the durian season should start from the last week of this month.

“The durians are not yet ripe as the flowers only began to bloom around March this year,” he said, adding that those sold now were mostly from outside Penang.

In George Town, trader Teoh Nai Teik said they were selling durian from Kuala Kangsar and some from Thailand, while waiting for the Balik Pulau durian season to start.

“Customers will always want to know where the durians are from. Some prefer to wait for Balik Pulau durian,” he said.

At the Penang state assembly yesterday, all the Yang Berhormat savoured a durian feast which featured Musang King, Black Thorn, D101, D24, D12 and D15, among others.

“This puasa month will see durian feasts happening,” said state Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin.

“We expect an abundant supply this season.”

On the export of Penang durian, Dr Afif said since the fruits were best eaten fresh, travel agencies had been marketing durian eating tours overseas.

Thus, the thorny attraction is expected to lure crowds of durian-loving tourists to Penang soon.

The feast for state legislators, government officers and the press were prepared by the state Agriculture Department.

Assistant agriculture officer Abdul Halim Abdul Aziz said the fruits were gathered from mainland orchards in Machang Bubok and near the southern border of Kedah.

“The Balik Pulau durian is not ripe yet. Give them another week or two,” he said.

It has been eight months since the Penang durian hit the streets, unlike last year which saw the longest durian season in recent memory in northern Malaysia.

Durian stalls mushroomed in late February last year. The fruits were sold till May, followed by another round in late June.

The market was so satiated last year that by late July, the price of Musang King plummeted to just RM28 per kilo from about RM60 per kilo.

In Machap, Melaka, Alan Yap, who helps his father manage their four-hectare orchard named Sim Koa Yen, said durian fans would get to enjoy the fruit beginning July.

“The fruit will be ready for harvest sometime in mid or late June. But the first week of harvest is usually not stable in terms of taste and quality. So we normally don’t sell them.

“Starting July, most of the species will give a consistent and tasty flesh throughout the season, which is expected to last for two to three months,” he said.

Yap, whose family orchard has 30 durian species, said the Jiabili and Green 15 types were considered premium fruits after the famed Musang King.

The start of the durian season would see species such as D7, D14 and D3, he said.

“In the mid-season, popular ones such as Musang King and D24, as well as other premium species like Jiabili and Green 15, will be more easily available.

“And before the season reaches the end, we will see more of Ang Bak and Hong Ren in the market,” he added.

With a stable supply expected, he said durian prices would likely maintain this season.

“Last year, Musang King was sold for RM60 per kg while Jiabili and Green 15 were RM45 per kg.

“The harvest will be good as long as there’s no excessive rain,” he said.

~News courtesy of The Star~