Jing Feng Jing Feng (Phoenix), Soar To The Skies

Funny how I missed out writing on this till I received a message asking if I can write on this.  I have always been under the impression I must have done this already since it is one of my favourite durian.  

The Name
As heard... Going back decades ago, this durian farmer has this wonderful durian but doesn't know what to name it, so he called the durian Jing Feng, which is the name of his wife.  I think he must have loved his wife a lot.

This durian is rumoured to originate from Tangkak (Johor) and the original tree is easily 60 years old now.

Visual

It is usually a small durian, regular roundish shape.  From exterior looks, it won't catch your fancy, as it looks a bit more like an ordinary durian, or the kampung durian.  Thorns are small and regular and color of shell usually off green (tilting towards yellowish brown).  It really doesn't look outstanding.

Typically
It can range from 500g up to 1.5kg but personally, from my eating experience:
-  Smaller Jing Feng are usually sweet and weak tasting.
-  Bigger Jing Feng above 1.3kg are usually weak tasting too (I tends to perceive it's from a young tree)

Ideally, I would want my Jing Feng to weigh between 900g to 1.2kg, and the color of the shell to be not so clean/fresh green.

Texture, Taste, Aroma (Flesh)

The color is off white, not exactly biege but just off white.  Sometimes you get a shade of grey patches akin to what we perceive from biter durians.

The durian flesh is very thick and sticky.  Upon swallowing, you really wonder if it'll flow down, or up, it's just 'STUCK' in the throat kind of feeling.  This would suggest the moisture level is lower than some other durians, thus the very sticky and thick feel.

It has pleasant and strong aroma, flora effect, and not overwhelming like MSW would.  The only durian that seems to be closer in comparison would be Cai Yuen.  Not forgetting, small seeds.

Choosing
Light smelling is good enough.  Go for those that are less appealing than the nice bright/fresh green.  I seriously would avoid big Jing Feng.

Noteworthy 

This fruit is not so popular with those who have never tried Jing Feng.  Ok if you have never tried it, stay away (if everybody tries and likes it, I won't be able to get sufficient Jing Feng).  

I would rate this durian as the most value for money durian.  Why so?  Let us compare this with, the extreme, MSW, in a few aspect:
-  Weight : A typical Jing Feng is about 1kg while MSW is 2-3kg.  The per kilogram price of Jing Feng is about the same as MSW (or sometimes more expensive).  If you buy the equivalent in weight, you get more in flesh.
-  Flesh : Very thick, pound for pound more than MSW
-  Seeds : Small!  MSW is not consistently small while Jing Feng is.
-  Shell : Jing Feng has rather thin shells while MSW are thick and heavy.

If we extract flesh out of Jing Feng and MSW (say, equivalent in weight), minus the seeds, I would think you get more weight from Jing Feng than you would from MSW.

This is possibly the most worthy durian!  It never fails with anyone so long as you are a durian lover.  Be it from a children, to anyone with a sweet tooth or those who simply knows how to indulge in a good durian.

However, if you are a "one-type' restrictive consumer (eg, strictly sticking to MSW), you are just loving 1 durian and not a fanatic or lover.  A durian lover/fanatic will try different durians and appreciate the various taste that comes with it.  Typically, I would zoom in on a certain 2-3 durian variants per season than stick to only one type.

Personally

Of Malaysia produced durians, there are two variants that makes me forgo D24, MSW, or any other variants that are commonly available.  I would choose a good Jing Feng or Tekka anytime.  This is one durian I tends to eat every year and never gotten sick of (while I'm quite bored with MSW)

In my perception.... 8.5/10.

------------------ Photos and Crash Test Dummies ------------------ 

I'll go on a hunt this week and update with photos (I don't happen to have any in my collection).