12 Types of Durian in Singapore and Tips for Choosing Fresh Ones

Durian. The smelliest fruit in the world but also the King of all fruits. It can either make people go, “mmm, durian”, or “what is that smell sia?”

Generally, there are 30 types of recognised durian species. In Singapore, you can find 12: 

Durian Types	Code	Taste	Origin	Season	Price Range
Mao Shan Wang	D197	Creamy, buttery, bittersweet	Kelantan	June till August	$$$-$$$$
Black Thorn	D200	Sweet, fruity, alcohol/ bitter aftertaste	Penang	Late July or August	$$$-$$$$
Sultan King	D24	Bitter with a hint of alcohol	Perak	July till September	$$-$$$
Tan Sri XO	D24	Sweet, creamy	Pahang	July till September	$$-$$$
Golden Bun	D13	Honeyed/caramelized	Johor	July till September	$$-$$$
Kampung Durian	888	Vanilla, bitter or bland	Native Fruit	Anytime	$
Tekka	D160	Sweet, fatty, creamy	Selangor	August	$$-$$$
Dato Nina	D2	Custard-like sweetness, slightly bitter	Melaka	Depends on region	$
Sweetie	D78	Dry, bitter, slightly sweet	Unknown	Depends on region	$
Red Prawn	D175	Sweet, fruity, floral, wine/alcohol-like	Penang	June till September	$-$$$
Hulu	D163	Dry, bittersweet	Penang	June till July	$-$$$
Golden Phoenix	D198	Floral, alcohol-like, creamy, bittersweet	Johor	May till early August	$-$$$

1. D197 Mao Shan Wang (Musang King Durian) 

A well-known, perhaps most-consumed durian, D197 Mao Shan Wang durian, or MSW durian, Musang King, is oval/egg-shaped and has a lighter green husk. Mao Shan Wang grows on a 30-year-old tree; cultivated in Pahang, where the soil conditions are best. The climate and hilly areas attribute to dry flesh that tastes bittersweet, with an aromatic aftertaste.

It smells sweet and doesn’t hit your nose with a sharp punch. With little to no fibre, the flesh is thick and delicate, bright golden yellow, and

With little to no fibre, the texture of the flesh is delicate, rich, buttery, bright golden yellow, and comes off easily of its flat, baby seed. Mao Shan Wang is one of the durians with multiple layers of taste!

Code: D197
Origin: Tanah Merah, Kelantan
Shape: Small, oval
Spikes: Light green, mini pyramids
Flesh: Golden yellow, dense yet smooth, with little to no fibres
Taste: Sweet with a savoury, bitter aftertaste
Seed: Mostly Thin, Small to medium

The King of Durians is Here!

2. D200 Black Thorn Durian

Nope, the colour of the D200 Black Thorn durian is not black, indeed. Its husk is green with brownish or greyish hints, especially at the end of its thorns.

It’s not hard to identify a Black Thorn durian, as its shape is significantly rounder. It looks almost like a bloated pentagon/star. The spikes are sparse, and they are short. Once cut open, you will see a valley between the chambers (where the flesh nestles in).

The fruit has a wine-like fragrance. The flesh can come in many colours – yellow, golden orange, or even pinkish orange.

Black Thorn durian’s flesh tastes sweet and fruity and is soft-textured. The aftertaste is slightly bitter and alcohol-like.

Code: D200
Origin: Kampung Lima Kongsi, Penang
Shape: Round, pentagon-shaped
Spikes: Sparse and short
Flesh: Yellow, golden orange, pinkish orange
Taste: Sweet, fruity, with a bitter/alcohol-like aftertaste
Seed: Large

3. D24 Sultan King Durian

D24, or Sultan King, is one of the oldest durians in Malaysia; founded in 1937, to be exact! Most of the trees are 30 years old and above.

In comparison with other durians, D24 has paler yellow flesh that is fibrous, almost with a stringy texture. Its taste is also not as sweet and carries a tad bitter aftertaste. Remember, most high-quality D24 durians/variants have firm and dry pulp.

Code: D24 Sultan King
Origin: Bukit Merah, Perak
Shape: Medium, oval
Spikes: Green, dense and prickly
Flesh: Pale yellow, firm and smooth, fibrous
Taste: Bittersweet with a fine liquor-like aroma
Seed: Round. Medium to Large

4) D24 Tan Sri XO Durian

XO belongs to the D24 family, too. But the Tan Sri XOs that DurianBB supplies are of even premium quality than conventional D24/Sultan King durians because the trees are cultivated on farms of high altitudes in Pahang.  

As its name implies, you can taste a hint of alcohol in a D24 XO durian because of the extended fermentation of the flesh inside the husk. XO durian flesh is bittersweet with a pleasant sweetness, fibrous yet refreshing at every bite.

Its flesh is dry yet soft. Its colours, though, are deceiving – pale yellow, almost white, making it appear bland. XO has long, dense spikes that point inwards towards the base. They spread evenly around the husk.

Tan Sri durian is our must-try! With such gang ho name and taste, this durian is happiness and superiority delivered to you when you order from us! 

Code: D24 XO
Origin: Pahang
Shape: Medium, oval
Spikes: Green, dense and prickly
Flesh: Pale yellow, firm and smooth, fibrous
Taste: Very creamy yet Bitter
Seed: Round. Medium to Large

The Most Sought-After Cultivar, Tan Sri XO Is a Must-Try for Durian Lovers.

5) D13 Golden Bun Durian

The colour of the husk of this type of durian is dirt, faded green. Its shape is oblong, with a long stem. Its flesh is a deep canary yellow with a tinge of orange, smooth, and with little to no fibre – easy to bite off its seed! It tastes honeyed/caramelised. 

Code: D13
Origin: Muar, Johor
Shape: Small, round
Spikes: Short
Flesh: Canary yellow
Taste: Very sweet
Seed: Round. Big

6) 888 Kampung Durian

Did you know? The origin of all durian variants in Malaysia came from 888, or Kampung durian! They are cheap and can be found anywhere.

Its flesh is compact, but it is the only durian with no consistency in terms of taste. When eating a Kampung durian, it’s a bet. It can taste sweet with a lace of vanilla essence, bitter, or downright bland/flavourless.

Code: 888
Origin: Native Fruit
Shape: Starfruit/ Pear-like/ Irregular
Spikes: Long, thick, and unevenly spaced
Flesh: Yellow with faint black patches
Taste: Sweet, bitter or flavourless
Seed: Irregular shape. Usually large

7) D160 Tekka Durian

Tekka durians rank top 10 in Malaysia’s durian variety. The flesh has a turmeric colour with a thick, sticky texture. The pulps are generally smaller in size, but they pack a punch in terms of flavour – sweet, fatty, and creamy. Overconsumption might make you feel ‘jelak’ (overwhelmed), though!

Code: D160
Origin: Tanjung Sepat, Selangor.
Shape: Bulky, oval-shaped
Spikes: Concave, tight
Flesh: Turmeric
Taste: Sweet, fatty, creamy
Seed: Small to Medium

8) D2 Dato Nina Durian

The husk of a Dato Nina durian is long and oval, with a thinner circumference at the top and a thicker mid and bottom.

With Nina, you only get two elongated pulps on each side of the husk when you cut it open, which has a sweetness like custard with a slight bitterness. 

The flesh, a vivid orange, has a fatty, dense, soft texture. Some variants come with no seed! That means 100% flesh.

Code: D2
Origin: Melaka
Shape: Oval
Spikes: Short, mid-sized
Flesh: Orange
Taste: Custard-like sweetness with a slight bitterness
Seed: Medium to Large

9) D78 Sweetie Durian

Shaped like a brownish green rugby ball with thick thorns, Sweetie is a “non-conformist” durian offering dry, bitter flavours with a tint of sweetness.

The appearance of a Sweetie durian as you cut it open is not very appealing. The chambers take up most of the space, and the pulps are small. The flesh is a pale yellow; quite a catfish judging by the name!

Code: D78
Origin: Not traceable
Shape: Oval
Spikes: Thick
Flesh: Pale yellow, white
Taste: Dry, bitter, slight sweetness
Seed: Large

10) D175 Red Prawn Durian

Red Prawn durians are scarce in quantity. Its husk looks like it is neglected, with a pale, dull soil colour with little to no touches of green. The thorns are thin, sharp, spaced out, and all around the husk, leaving no bald spots. 

The pulps are shaped like red prawns, except they can come in pale yellow, light pink, light orange, or salmon colours. 

The flesh has a melty, sticky, soft texture. Its taste is an assortment of sweetness, wine/alcohol, fruitiness, and floral. A very complex durian, indeed! If the weather is hot, you might taste a bitter Red Prawn durian instead.  

Code: D175
Origin: Balik Pulau, Penang
Shape: Round, slightly oval
Spikes: Thin, sharp, spaced out
Flesh: Pale yellow, light pink, light orange or salmon
Taste: Sweet, fruity, floral, with hints of alcohol
Seed: Medium to Large

11) D163 Hulu Durian

Hulu durian is also known as ‘Hor Lor’ durian. Its hard shell is the shape of an hourglass, with some sections caved in. The thorns are blunt and have no uniform pattern.

Hor Lor is suitable for people that do not prefer moist/watery durians. Its pulps, thick and dense and either warm yellow or white, have little to no water content and are sweet with a slight bitterness. You can feel the fibres and tart/dry texture when you take a bite.

When a Hot Lor durian grows on a 40-year-old or older tree, the flesh will carry a hint of pleasant, chocolatey taste!

Code: D163
Origin: Balik Pulau, Penang
Shape: Small, bottle gourd-shaped
Spikes: Dense and sharp
Flesh: Bright yellow
Taste: Thick and dense, bittersweet
Seed: Small

12) D198 Golden Phoenix Durian (Jin Feng Durian)

Another name for the Golden Phoenix durian is ‘Jin Feng’. It is one of the rarest breeds to cultivate (no cross-pollination). Jin Feng durians are only available in Johor, and they are the top five most popular durians in Singapore. 

Jin Feng durians have tiny seeds, hence, more meat (flesh). They are sweet, creamy, and have mild alcohol and floral tinge, with a slightly bitter aftertaste. 

Code: D198
Origin: Johor
Shape: Small, thin
Spikes: Thin, sharp, converge toward the bottom
Flesh: Pale yellow
Taste: Sweet, creamy, mild alcohol and fruity flavours, bitter aftertaste
Seed: Small

2022 Durian Season in Singapore

Typically, durians are available throughout the year. Except, the stock may be low because supply is low.

March, July, August, September, November, and December are peak durian seasons, which means durians are easily accessible, and the prices are comparatively lower, too.

January, February, April, May, and June are slow periods. During these months, durian fads and the fruit’s availability may slow.

October is the slowest month; no stock, no supply, and no demand.

Durian Buffet Party in Singapore

Looking for a unique way to celebrate Durian Season in Singapore? Then look no further than the DurianBB Party!

This all-you-can-eat durian buffet in Singapore is the perfect place to sample various durians. An expert guides you as you taste DurianBB’s Signature Tasting Platter, which includes five to six different types of durians, followed by our renowned ALL YOU CAN EAT durian buffet session that has taken multiple cities by storm all over Asia.

In addition to the delicious food, you’ll also get a crash course in all things durian. So whether you’re a durian lover or a complete novice, you will have a great time at DurianBB Party!

4 Tips for Choosing a Durian that is Tasty and Fresh

To fully experience what the King of all fruits has to offer, remember these five tips the next time you choose a durian!

Tip 1: Bring the durian close to your ear, shake, and listen

Be careful when you are doing so. If you hear a hard, loud, or hollow sound, the durian is not ripe; no sounds mean the fruit is overripe and no longer fresh.

An ideal sound is clear, crisp, and slightly squishy because this would mean the durian is ripe in the nick of time, and its flesh is soft and not too watery.

Tip 2: Smell

Durians are pungent, but a good nose can differentiate the layers of smells and pick out a good one. The bottom of a durian husk is the thickest, so sniff along the lines of the centre.

An unripe durian has a faint/mild scent. Its counterpart, an overripe durian, will have an unpleasantly strong fragrance. A good one should be easy on the nose but strong enough to catch a whiff.

Tip 3: A perfect shape means more pulps but less flavourful

A perfectly round durian could mean more pulps because it has more chambers, but in most cases, they taste bland. Durians of different shapes and sizes mean the pulps are creamier and more fragrant.

Tip 4: Pick green spikes with brown tips

Tip #4 can be tricky because some durian husks are (light) brown entirely. As a general rule of thumb, you want to pick durians with green spikes and brown tips because these have matured just enough for the aroma to disperse. Bright green tips mean unripe durians, and brown tips mean old durians.

What to Do with All of this Information? Time to Try or Buy from DurianBB

If you are hesitant about trying durians, our advice is: don’t be! Just choose one that we have introduced that you think your tastebuds can handle.

And if you are an avid durian eater, you are in for a treat because DurianBB can deliver durians directly from the farm to your doorstep at a price you will love!