King kong king durian is actually a rather rare durian of Penang. But Because it can be found in some places in Georgetown, the rarity might not be really felt by consumers.

It’s probably more easy to find it in town than the farmlands of Balik Pulau.

The mother tree is in Pondok Upeh. If the name of this area sounds familiar, it might be because this is also the place where the mother tree of red prawn was located.

I guess most people would not need me to tell them that this name of king kong is a little light-hearted comedy. Durians like centipede got it’s name from how the bug is often observed on the tree. Which might lead people to think that king kong got this name because the king kong of Hollywood fame once climbed the tree. No it’s not like that. Maybe Peter Jackson can clarify this one day.

The durian also goes by the mandarin name of gong zi wang (公子王) which can be translated as young master. A dialect pronunciation is kong zai wong with “kong zai” supposedly a reference to the name of the farmer who owned the original mother tree. And I’ve also seen it named as jin gang (金刚) which can be translated as hard as iron. Another moniker is puppet king, and also jantung.

The husk colour is a faded desty green that reminds me a lot of S17. The thorns are slim and conical. With a tendency to converge ever so lightly near the top. A feature that’s reminiscent of gabai.

This is a rather strong tasting durian. It carries a heavy kampung taste. A strong alcoholic presence. A noticeable bitter profile. And a fermented flavour that completes the taste quadrant.

What I also find notable of king kong king is that the texture, or consistency, is delightfully balanced.

It’s not as soft as something like khun poh. But it feels as smooth as how soft fleshed durians like khun poh does.

At the same time, it’s not as thick as black thorn. But feels thick enough for an oomph factor.

When we add this texture into the mix with the taste quadrant, it makes this durian quite an all rounder.

I’m a little surprised it has not gained the infamy I think it deserves. Maybe most people like sweet durians after all.