Gong Zi Wang (公子王) is a rebranding of a Penang durian originally known as Jantung (heart). It is pronounced as Kong Zai Wong in Cantonese.

The original jantung name was used as the husk is often odd shaped that resembles a heart. Some would argue that the name comes from the love that they feel inside when they have this durian.

The new name is a wordplay with the word “Kong” which is in the name of the tree owner who is a respected figure in Penang’s durian realm.

A direct translation of gong zi wang is young master king. It also goes by some others names such as puppet king and king kong king.

Some sellers call it kong zai king which is a mesh up of Cantonese and English.

This is a strong deeply intense complex tasting durian. Which is why it is often suggested to have last in a durian omakase session.

It can go toe-to-toe with a lot of Penang durians known for their notoriously strong taste such as lin feng jiao, green skin and capri, etc.

So if you have feasting on these strong tasting durians in the same sitting, it is best to have water after each durian so that they don’t all taste the same.