Kacang hijau is a durian that appears during the early phase of the Penang durian season.

It has numerous aliases including green bean and green apple. But the name that it is probably best known as is qing pi zai (青皮仔), or pronounced as cheh puay kia in Hokkien, translated as green skin kid.

You might have noticed that all these monikers contain the word “green” in it.

This is because the name is referencing the fruitlets colour that is pale and looks like green to some people. You know… sometimes certain colours appear differently to different people. This one can appear light green to some.

Because the most common name it uses contains the word “green skin”, consumers can sometimes mistake this durian as the more famously formidable durian green skin 15.

Do be mindful that in Penang, if you hear the name green skin, it is generally referring to green skin 15. Not Kacang Hijau.

But unscrupulous sellers might try to pass off kacang hijau as green skin 15 to gullible customers. So just remember that kacang hijau is generally round in shape. Green skin 15 is generally elongated in a crescent shape.