Just yesterday, I was out for my lunch, when I noticed that durian prices have 'soften' and became very appealing to consumers. There were heaps of different variants of durians from Johor for sale there.
After the quick stroll through the heaps and settling down at the coffeeshop next to the make shift stall, I noticed seemingly some happy customers leaving the durian stall with bags of comfortable priced durians.
However, when I look upwards to the tentage, I couldn't help but noticed this banner.
It is quite a common sight to see "Black Gold" and Pahang MSW, among other FANCIFUL names. So, based on the banner above, how different are they?
I'm sure many consumers have heard/seen the following too
- Highland MSW
- Old Tree MSW
- Highland Old Tree MSW
- and recent years, Black Gold MSW and
- Tai Shang Wang
- Wang Zhong Wang
I'm not saying there are no such durian (or if everything is real), but, hey, what's the authenticity of these 'variants'? Many consumers are very unaware! It's fine paying more for what you deem you are getting, or should I generally say, pay the price you are willing to pay for what you gotten. Authenticity isn't relevant ya??
Let me share a bit of Insider info. If every consumer is aware of this, and durian sellers sees this post.... well.... i leave it as that.
Before revealing further, let me refresh 1 variant that has largely been forgotten... Wang Zhong Wang! Hey, isn't that a variant that sellers claims???? WHAT? EXTINCTION together with the dinosaurs? Oh no... why didn't Xiao Qiang (nick name for cockroach, in case foreign readers wonder what that is) didn't go extinct?
Now, let is go through the different 'Variants'/names in a sellers gonna hate me fashion.
The 'Extinct' Wang Zhong Wang (WZW)
In reality, WZW is NOT a variant on its own! It is just the better of the lot! Get it? Years ago, sellers single out a few pieces from that day's supply and grouped it as WZW!
Is it wrong? Well, it's fine with me actually. After all, it was usually the better of the whole day's supply and many consumers don't mind paying a few extra dollars per kilogram for it.
So, any variant of durian, can actually be categorized as WZW. It isn't really wrong in my opinion.
The Different Types of MSW
Before going into it. MSW was first discovered in the 80s, which is nearly 40 years ago. It was discovered in Kelantan, and a branch was grafted onto a durian tree in Pahang. That's the origin of MSW.
Referring to the list of names above, I'll group these (Highland, Old Tree, Highland Old Tree) together, as it is all MSW that consumers are accustomed with.
How wrong is it to term, Pahang's durian (even if it is just kampung durian from Pahang) as HIGHLAND? Many parts of Pahang are actually highlands, especially the durian growing region.
Highland Old Tree is just another jargon.
Old tree. HOW OLD are these trees, before they are categorized as Old Tree? Oh ya... we don't relate to age as YOUNG do we? So, a ONE year old child is still called 'old'.
But if people knows better, most trees are actually very young. Most MSW are grafted from another grafted MSW 'tree'. So do we take the age from the
- grafted branch as it's age, or
- the original tree that it was grafted onto, or
- since MSW came from a tree discovered in the 1980s?
Whichever, it can't be considered old even if the tree is maybe 20+ years old right? I'm senile, forgotten, I just mentioned One Year Old is also called Old.
Oh how about Genting Highland Old Tree
Some frequent visitors to Genting Highland would have encounter durian stalls near the foot hill. Among the most popular durian variant that consumers loved would be MSW.
So, that's how Genting Highland Old Tree MSW came about. Genting, I am not sure if there is even a single MSW tree there. Maybe someday, someone is going to start claiming Cameroon Highland or Fraser Hill once the novelty of the current range of names gets stale.
What about Black Gold and Tai Shang Wang
Black Gold MSW was a term coined in recent years and from my unfounded understanding (I'm just BSing here)... as told by sellers too actually.... Black Gold MSW are MSW with the 'black' bruised hue instead of the evenly yellow MSW. Generally, they just made it seems like e premium range la.
Wang Zhong Wang disappeared so suddenly, and well... Black Gold sounds really nice.
(remember to keep your poop, cos it's worth in gold)
Tai Shang Wang
Going back in history (goodness... i am either sounding old, or a historian wannabe but can't be), the term Tai Shang Wang (or Huang) is an honorific and institution of retired emperorship (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taishang_Huang)
So, is Tai Shang Wang/Huang, a retired MSW? Or just a honorific name that is merely just... MSW?
Differentiating MSW
Among the many names above, are they really so different, or just a name?
I've helped out at certain durian stalls before, for fun, or because I was invited to help. It's not exactly for the money, cos it doesn't measure up.
So, from what I know (up to you to believe me). MSW arrived based on Grade A, Grade B and Grade C! It doesn't arrive as Black Gold, Tai Shang Wang, Highland, Old Tree, or any other fancy names!!! PERIOD!
The 'variants' segregation are... done at/by the stall.
So it is up to you to believe what you were sold, or know where these 'variants' came from.... 1 random seller told me years ago, I don't know how to eat durian. I only told him, "yes, I don't know how to eat durian, but he knows how to sell, so sell it to gullible buyers".
Spare me his crap. When I started eating durian, he was still swimming in some sack (gosh, I'm so uncouth here).
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Disclaimer : This insider may upset some sellers... or make some consumers rethink what they are being sold.
So, who is telling the truth? This senile blogger or your durian seller?
I'm not sorry... it was intentional!
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