While Penang is home to some of the most famous durians in Malaysia like black thorn and red prawn, it is also not short of very rare durians as well.

While rare durians are understandably not as famous because consumers in general are not even aware of their existence, they are well-known among durians hunters.

Some of the well-known rare durians in Penang include the old granny, the yellow capri, sakura, etc. Another rare durian famous among durian hunters of Penang is the indomitable lantern.

The Chinese name is dian deng (点灯) which literally means to light a lantern or to illuminate. But in casual conversations, it is used to refer to just the lantern in this case.

The name came about when the mother tree kept being harrassed by foraging animals such as civet cats, squirrels and monkeys. The farmer tried all types of measures to keep them away but failed. In the end he tried putting up lanterns on the tree branches. And it finally worked.

Thus he named the fruits of the tree dian deng, lantern.

Features of lantern durian

This is a generally small sized durian that often comes in the size of 1kg give or take.

It does not have uniquely shaped husks or thorn arrangements. It looks very much like how a lot of kampung durians look like.

If I must find something identifiable that is similar, I’d say that certain types of D24 can have thorns that look this way. But D24 is a durian known to have many types of thorn appearances. So it’s hardly a good comparison.

The fruitlets are light yellow accompanied by a translucent aril membrane. Further more, it spots patches of bruises very much in the style of tupai king. But because tupai king has a brighter yellow flesh colour, the contrast makes the bruises much more visually dramatic than lantern.

While the taste of this durian is no slouch as it is quite intense in flavour, it is famous for a different reason. And that is that it can numb the mouth like biting into flower pepper in a spicy hot bowl of mala soup.

When you add that to the already formidable taste profile of this durian, it is a combination that can send a lot of durian lovers into total meltdown.

There’s something about numbing that enhances or adds to the durian eating experience. It sort of brings the taste of the durian to a different level, or dare I say different dimension.

There are many durian lovers who have never tasted durians that numbs the tongue. Some even brush it off as nonsense as they have never encountered them.

Lantern durian is one that can deliver this experience consistently enough that is has become infamous for it.

Lantern durian harvest season

Lantern is a main season durian. In Penang, the main season typically last from May to June.

But knowing when it starts to drop counts for little as the supply is extremely limited. Many durian tourists also come to the farm specifically for this durian. So much so that the patriarch of the farm has become a celebrity of sorts.

If you run into it by chance, the wise thing to do is to accept it while thanking your luck stars. Or you will have to befriend durian hunters who have their own ways of sourcing and securing rare durians.