I must admit that though I’m a great fan of durians, I’m no expert, especially when it comes to nomenclature. Last month, I paid a visit to my neighbourhood durian stall and asked for 猫山王. No luck. No stock. The stallholder recommended me another sub-species called 猫王. There’s one word missing from 猫山王 and apparently it’s, the latter’s younger brother. This 猫王 has nothing to do with Elvis Presley, of course, but it tasted OK. Creamy, bittersweet but not too high on aroma. Here’s a picture.
Today, I decided to make up for my lack of premium durians by asking for the absolute best. The stallholder recommended me 王中王 which he claimed to be the best of 猫山王. Frankly, I believe all these titles are just marketing strategies, but I have a quota for caloric allowance and only wanted the best. Ignoring the price tag, I decided to give 王中王 a try. Here is what it looks like.
I must say that even before sinking my teeth into it, the aroma was overwhelming. You may see some signs of the seeds showing through what appeared to be thin flesh. That lost a few “beauty points” with me, but make no mistake, the fesh was thick and creamy. There was a hint of bitterness, but the sweetness overwhelmed it. The strong aroma also left a pleasant aftertaste. Definitely one of the better durians I’ve tasted, but I’m not sure if it deserves the 王中王 title.
