Ba Ba Red Durian (Baba Ang)
Ba ba red durian is a less common kampung durian that can be found in Penang.
The name in Chinese is 峇峇红 (baba hong). The term baba (峇峇) is linked to the Peranakan culture that has deep roots in Malaysia. And the word hong is translated as the word red.
The dictation of this name for the durian is baba ang, with the word 红 pronounced in Hokkien. The style of dictation is similar to red flower and tian song.
Without looking at the actual words, a person who hears the name might think that it means 肉肉红. A cute reference to red flesh that the durian spots.
Baba red is a small sized durian usually found in the 1kg range.
And as you might have already suspected, the lobes of aril is a little orangey-red resembling that of ang bak kia.
It is no wonder that ba ba ang is also sometimes known as ang bak kia. Not because it looks like ang bak kia, but that it literally is a red flesh durian in a compact size.
The taste is generally stronger than the average durian, with a heavier bitterness than it’s sweetness.