Why Susu Durian Is Known As The Milky Queen
The sheer prices that durians can go for should give people an idea that this is not the average fruit.
When we consider that the western world and many other parts of the world find durians repulsive, the buoyant prices of durians look even more impressive.
Taking into account that the operating costs of running plantations and harvesting is really low in Malaysia, it infers that there is a very high margin made by farmers and stall owners.
The implication is that plantation owners can still make a bucket load of profits if they significantly reduce their margins to be more competitive.
Yet these margins seem to be getting more rampant with each year.
What these information translates to is that there is massive demand for durians that far outstrips the supply. And that is the underlying reason for the current high prices that are approaching the unaffordable range.
That’s hardly surprising because durians are no longer being sold as fruit. They are being marketed as desserts.
Which is a reflection of how much fascination and obsession is in play in this market.
One of the reasons that makes durians so fascinating to so many people is that many of the cultivars come with rather unexpectedly remarkable tastes. Tastes that usually comes with desserts.
There are those that taste like butter, chocolate, berries, coffee, rum, peanuts, vanilla, etc.
And perhaps the one that has monopolized the milk flavour is susu durian (牛奶). It not that it’s the only durian that carries a milky flavour. But because the depth of the milky taste is much more powerful on this one compared to others.
The term susu is Malay for milk. So… it pretty much says all there is to it when a durian’s name is susu.
Another alias that accompanies this durian, but is less used, is Queen or huang hou (皇后) in Chinese.
There is a lot of talk about susu durian in recent seasons. And the topic is almost always centered around durianers being unsuccessful in procuring it.
The buzz is definitely there. But whether interest can be sustained when those who want to taste it for the first time does so is another matter altogether.
Susu and related words are common in the business of durian naming. You are going to find many breeds of durians, including kampung, in different states called names like milky, milk, nai you (奶油), niu nai (牛奶), etc. There’s also a popular version from Johor. The one we are discussing here is the one from Penang.
Features of susu durian
Susu is a big durian that can easily weigh over 3kg per fruit.
It’s husk is of a yellow-green colour leaning more towards a yellow shade than green.
The thorns are big, fat and bulky.
The outer husk of each lobe bulges, creating a convergence of spikes like khun poh to indicate where the seams are. The bottom is a protruding shape, sometimes to the extent similar to 600.
All these exterior features combined can make it look very similar to D18 big bun.
Once in a while, you might find unethical durian sellers trying to pass off D18 as susu because the latter commands a better retail price.
With a huge size, thick husk and average sized fruitlets, this is one durian that many buyers might feel aggrieved for the low yield of flesh contained in it.
Yet many more would be very willing to part with the hard earn money for a little susu.
Because when you bite into it, the instantaneous feeling of creamy milky durian tickles your taste buds like a baby tasting chocolates for the first time. The little noticeable fiber makes the eating even more pleasurable.
If I’m a child, I might have thought that susu comes from a tree grafted with a cow. Or that this is how milk would taste like when cattle are only fed durian. Maybe a durian tree that is only watered with milk?
The thick sweetness can also remind you of sucking on a milkshake.
Anyway, the name milk has no reflection of the colour of the flesh as susu has fruitlets that is light yellow.
The flesh of capri might be more appropriate as resembling the colour of milk. But capri is famous for a whole other reason.
You don’t need to go to an exotic dessert store anymore to grab a bowl of durian milk pudding. All you need is to get a susu. A natural dessert gifted to us by mother nature.
Susu harvest season
Susu is a mid-season durian that typically floods the market during the month of June.
However as explained earlier, this is a cultivar that is very short in supply.
You best chance of getting a good susu is to request a seller to reserve it for you. Even that might be a challenge by itself if you are not a familiar face to the seller.
Why reserve one for a stranger when it can be easily sold to patrons. It can even be used to build relationships with current customers.
So this is a tough one. You might very well have to wait for a few more season until supply starts to increase.
Small susu
In 2022, I was introduced to a different durian also known as susu. It’s much smaller compared to the established one and don’t have a pointed bottom.
I teased the seller with a little banter that I know what susu looks like and that is not susu. He insisted that it’s a new susu. A smaller one.
The name is said to have originated from the colour of the flesh. Which is a nice soft pastel yellow. More like condensed milk sweetener to me.
The internal compartments are taken up by 1 seed each. Sort of like tian song. But has a very thick husk.
It tastes of dry bitterness, sticky and with a subtle touch of wine.