SINCE May 20, Mohd Anuar Yusoff, 53, has been busy attending to the presence of many Raja Kunyit D197 durian (turmeric king in reference to the turmeric-coloured deep yellow flesh) fans to enjoy the special taste of the fruit at his orchard in Kampung Lawang, Batu Gajah, in Tanah Merah, Kelantan.
Durian lovers come not only from around Kelantan but also from Negeri Sembilan, Johor, Perak, Pahang, Terengganu and even as far as Sarawak for the Raja Kunyit, or its commercial name, Musang King.
Speaking to Bernama, Mohd Anuar said that although the Raja Kunyit or Musang King is of the same clone, the fruit grown in Tanah Merah has a different taste compared to that grown in other locations.
“Raja Kunyit is an original clone of Musang King; however, the fruit grown in Tanah Merah is different in terms of taste and texture.
The Raja Kunyit here has a more creamy texture, in addition to being equally sweet and bitter. “Raja Kunyit also has a firm filling and is not so soft.
A fan of Raja Kunyit can finish one fruit by himself compared to Musang King, where you may feel sick after eating two or three cloves,” he said when met at his orchard recently. Mohd Anuar added that he and his wife inherited the almost 0.8-hectare orchard from his late father.
“My late father started planting durian trees in 1985. This orchard now has about 40 Raja Kunyit trees,” he said, adding that he uses social media platforms such as Facebook to promote his Raja Kunyit durians.
“This year, I sold the Raja Kunyit at RM45 per kg.
Those who come here not only eat fresh fruit but can also enjoy the experience of picking up the fallen durians around the orchard,” said the secondary school teacher. A durian lover, Mohd Nur Hafiz Nazir, 36, said his family came from Kampung Meranti, Pasir Mas, to enjoy the durian in the orchard.
“This is my first experience eating at a durian orchard. Usually, we go to Raub, Pahang, to buy the Musang King durian. “The taste of Raja Kunyit here is better, firmer, drier, not so sweet, doesn’t make you feel sick when you eat it, and can be very addictive,” he said.
Raja Kunyit was first planted in Pulau Raya, Tanah Merah before being named Musang King durian and planted in various other locations. – BERNAMA
