Tey Chee Yan, on the other hand, is hardly fazed by the hot weather – in fact, he welcomes it. After all, the sunny climate is perfect for durian trees.
And as it happens, Tey himself was responsible for planting many back in the day.
During FMT Lifestyle’s visit to his cheerfully named orchard Happy Fruit Tangkak, he is more than delighted to show off the literal fruits of his labour.
Tey is the proud owner of more than 7 hectares of land, with this particular area being home to 30 of his durian trees, each heavily fruiting at this time of year.
Here, large nets stretch from trunk to trunk to help protect workers from falling durians, as well as to make their harvesting jobs easier.
“These were planted 30 years ago,” he reveals proudly. “Back then, we didn’t have Musang King, mind you. Those didn’t exist.”
It turns out Musang King is a relatively new innovation in the market, while the trees Tey has are of the D2, D24, D13, D101, Red Prawn, and Golden Phoenix varieties.
Wait – Golden Phoenix durian? What’s that? Tey is effusive: “It’s a Tangkak exclusive! You can’t find it anywhere else!”
He also explains how durians get their codenames, which are actually the registration number of the particular variant. While the “D” simply stands for “durian”, the numbers are dictated by the Malaysian Agriculture Department.
And what’s the difference between these durians? “D2 is wet, like butter, and it has something of a bitter aftertaste.”
D24 is a particularly popular variant, while D13 – also popular – is similar to the D200 or Black Thorn durian.
“You can recognise a D101 from its size,” Tey continues. “Small seed, big flesh. It’s sweet and very creamy. A lot of Hong Kong people love to eat this one.”
He has fewer positive words to say about the small-sized D88: “They are very common, and quite unpopular.”
Still, it has some admirers, since “88” is auspicious to some Chinese folks. And here’s a fun fact: for Hokkien speakers, the D88’s alias tends to elicit giggles. Let’s just say its Hokkien name has rather vulgar connotations.
Thankfully, the Udang Merah or Red Prawn durian has a far more innocent name inspired by its orange flesh, which looks reddish in a certain light. “Penangites love this one!”
Finally, there’s the Golden Phoenix. “It’s roundish and it isn’t too big. The flesh is creamy and bittersweet. The locals like it, maybe because it’s not that expensive.”
While Tey isn’t the only durian entrepreneur in this part of Johor, he is certainly one of the more prolific ones. The 65-year-old is also the owner of the Tangkak Durian Agrotourism Hub, which draws hordes of fruit fans from as far as Singapore and even Hong Kong.
It’s no coincidence that Tangkak is home to many durian orchards. As Tey explains: “Durians are best grown in hilly areas. They grow even better when the weather is hot like this.”
It used to be that durians would start fruiting in the middle of the year, specifically in June, July and August. Nowadays, though, “they fruit all-year round”.
It takes up to eight years for a durian tree to reach adulthood, and they only reach their peak when they are 15. Once they reach 30, however, the fruits will become bitter and “gassy”, giving it a more fermented taste.
“That’s why I say, don’t ever pair durian with alcohol or carbonated drinks. Eat mangosteens to cool down, and drink coconut water or green tea to balance it all out,” Tey concludes.
Tangkak Durian Agrotourism Hub
Tiara Light Industry,
84900 Tangkak,
Johor Darul Takzim
Contact: 019-449 8833
Durian Tourism 2023
Salivating at the thought of Tey’s durians? Check out the Durian Tourism packages currently offered by Tourism Malaysia.
Fifteen local tour operators and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) are offering 30 attractive packages that include durian buffets throughout West Malaysia.
Some are as cheap as RM50 per person for a buffet, while others are pricier, including a three-day, two-night package to the tune of RM1,740 per pax.
For a particularly great deal, check out the 3 Days 2 Nights Durian Escapade Package, priced at RM560, which includes a visit and stay in Raub, Pahang!
Don’t dally, though, as the promotions end on Aug 31. Pre-book your package today, and be prepared to eat to your heart’s content while indulging in some terrific travel.
Check out Tourism Malaysia’s Durian Deals & Packages by clicking here.
This article was written as part of a Johor agrotourism visit organised by Tourism Malaysia.
