Farmers make Musang King sweeter to please China market

PETALING JAYA – Musang King, the popular premium durian variety, is facing a “taste” dilemma.

Some farmers are transforming its flavour to meet different market demands, but this has raised the ire of durian purists.

Musang King is known for its rich golden flesh and sweet taste with a hint of bitterness, but the farmers are tweaking its taste to make it sweeter, dialling down on its bitterness.

An industry insider indicated recently that some farmers are focusing on increasing the sweetness of Musang King durians to serve the Chinese market better.

Some farmers, however, have maintained that they are not doing so.

According to the Horticulture Research Centre of the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, the science behind such a transformation of taste is complex but attainable.

The centre’s Dr Zulhazmi Sayuti explained that genetically modifying durians to reduce their bitterness, while complex, is grounded in scientific precedence.

“The feasibility has been shown in other crops; however, identifying the exact genes and ensuring other fruit traits are not compromised presents a challenge,” he told The Star.

He said glycosides such as saponins contribute to the bitterness in durians, and controlling the genes responsible for these compounds can alter the taste profile, potentially reducing bitterness.

However, he stressed the importance of regulatory and ethical considerations and that any genetic alterations would need to undergo rigorous testing before being accepted.

“Malaysia maintains a strict genetically modified organism policy, ensuring safety while fostering scientific and biotechnological advancements,” he added.

In Malaysia, Musang King durians are categorised as young trees under 20 years old and old ones over 20 years old.

The older the trees are, the more bitter the fruit.

The attempts to alter the taste of the Musang King have raised eyebrows.

Durian Manufacturer Association general-secretary Anna Teo lamented recently that many Musang King durians on the market today are not what they once were, as they showed signs of “diluted colour and aroma”.

While flavour adjustments are possible by altering the fruit’s exposure to fermentation and bruising, she said the focus should be on the quality of the fruit, not just its sweetness.

She said although cultivation techniques and methods have improved, farmers should not adjust the taste of the fruit.

Federation of Malaysian Fruit Farmers Association president Lawrence Ting said farmers enhance their trees and fruits through fertilisation methods to achieve superior quality.

“Since fruit cannot be factory-produced, farmers rely on organic fertilisers to improve the durian flavours, which is a standard practice,” he said.

Mr Ting said Malaysian durians, which are distinct from the sweet-flavoured durians of Thailand, possess a taste that is sweet with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

This profile stems from the country’s climate and soil conditions.

While Malaysians prefer such a taste, foreign consumers have different preferences.

Pahang Agriculture and Ecotourism Association president Lee Pit Kheong said that first-time Musang King tasters from China and Taiwan often find it bitter, and they sometimes assume the fruit is spoiled.

Mr Stephen Chow, a durian orchard owner with more than 30 years of experience, noted that exporters would tailor their selections to meet the sweetness preferences of consumers in other countries, which is a standard business practice.

“For instance, in an orchard, farmers know which trees are under 10 years old and which are the 20-year-old mature trees. If the market preference in different countries leans towards sweeter durians, then the durians with higher sweetness will be exported there,” he said.

“Changing the taste of durian depends on whether enough organic fertiliser is used.”

However, some of the current demands for durian exports to China include the flesh being plump, and that the Musang King durian should have five sides of flesh, said Mr Chow.

However, there was no request to reduce bitterness, he said.

The Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama), which comes under the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry, has been facilitating Musang King’s market expansion ever since Malaysia began exporting frozen durian to China in 2011.

In 2018, Malaysia received approval to export whole frozen durians there, and fresh whole durians have been being sold to China since August 2024.

Fama director-general Abdul Rashid Bahri said the Musang King has always been targeted for the upscale market segment.

This has led more farmers to grow the variety because of its profitability, he said. – THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK