Durio zibethinus has been a native plant of Malaysia for centuries with official records to substantiate that.

For a tree plant to have evolved for at least hundreds of years, it’s not surprising to find many different species scattered all over the nation.

Some might have evolved naturally, and some might have involved a level of bio-engineering.

As time passed, farmers started to realise that different types of durian trees can be sensitive to minute differences in climate conditions. Which is why some types of trees tend to grow better and produce higher quality fruits compared to other places.

So it’s no wonder that some durian cultivars are synonymous with certain states.

There are for example, the red prawn of Penang, IOI of Johor, dato nina of Malacca, tenom beauty of Sabah, and the indomitable musang king of Pahang.

But before musang king ruled the lands, there was another cultivar that had quite the reputation in Pahang.

I’m talking about D145.

D145 was so revered at the town where it first came to prominence that the locals gave it the name durian Beserah. With Beserah being the name of the town.

It is also known for other aliases such as durian hijau or tuan mek hijau, which should not be confused with D10 that has the same alias.

Legend has it that this durian was so famous for it’s pedigree at it’s peak in the 1970s that even the Sultan of Pahang requested for all the harvest to be sent to the palace. So I don’t think it would be wrong to say that during a period of time, D145 was only fit for royalty.

The sad part is that with the gold rush of musang king cultivation, many of the D145 trees that stood tall in the past were replaced by musang king.

However, some farmers found the heritage of D145 worth preserving and have kept their trees. Many of which are close to 40 year old trees.

These days, D145 is a very niche durian that seldom makes it’s way out of Pahang.

If you have a local market willing to pay top dollar, an additional 20% or 30% more profit for exporting out of state might not be a decisive factor especially when we consider the immediate cash flow that local markets can offer to farmers.

Features of D145 durian Beserah

D145 durian Beserah has a size that is medium to large. Typically an average size of about 1.5kg with the bigger ones getting closer to 3kg.

The shape of this durian is rounded like D10… which coincidentally also spots the moniker durian hijau. So one would be excused for being confused with the label durian hijau.

The thorns are somewhat thick and rather long.

It has a more or less homogenius husk colour of a fresh looking coat of conventional green. Looking very similar to green skin 15.

For those who are experts in identifying durian cultivars, D145 would certainly bear an uncanny resemblance to green skin 15. But the registration number of green skin 15 being D165 should provide a clue that these two are different types of durians.

When opened, you’d see a cluster of fruitlets that are somwhere between the colours of yellow and red. Probably a shade between the colours of mao shan wang and D13.

The puffy looking oversized pulps can remind you of D14, while the manner in which the fruitlet take up space in the chamber lobes can be reminiscent of capri.

The thick flesh taste slightly sweet, bitter, alcoholic and floral too. The huge pull factor of D145 is with it’s texture, with a tenderness and stickiness that will lure you into grabbing the next fruitlet by instinct.

It has what I would describe as a cultured taste.

I can see why the locals have proudly named this durian after the town.

D145 harvest season

The fruit typically has a mid-season harvest.

But even if you calculate the timing with genius-level mathematics, it’s not easy to procure a D145 outside of Pahang due to the low supply. It might even prove to be a huge challenge in Kuantan or Bentong.

When the local market is willing to pay a premium price range for a durian, you’d know that  this is not just another fruit.

Considering that the price of musang king has hit the roof, and continues to climb each year, D145 also provides the locals with a premium taste without paying through their teeth.

With that said, there are signs that the curtains are closing in on D145 and that supply would be shrinking instead of expanding.

This is because newer farmers would understandably have a preference for cultivating the cash machines of musang king and black thorn. And the older generation of Beserah farmers are facing challenges for land space from lucrative bauxite miners.

Many might be tempted to retire and call it a day, deciding to sell their land for these mining activities.