The Quest

I won't be eating as much as this guy!  Surely he has somebody helping him.

Malaysia has over 100 varieties of durian.  Over a week, I obviously won't be able to try them all.  However, if I can eat a small to medium sized amount each morning and afternoon, I potentially could try 14 varieties.  These are ones I've been researching, so they are at the top of the list.  Musang King is Malaysia's most popular durian and the one many think is the best in the world.  I may have to sample it two or three times.

Popular varieties:

Musang King or Mao Shan Wang (D197, Mor3sang3 Ong2) - thick and yellow golden flesh, creamy, sweet, sometimes bitter, very rich, pleasant aroma

D24 (Sultan) - famous in 90s, creamy bitter, mostly sweet, very sought-after, golden, thick and sweet flesh

D160 (Tekka, Buluh Bawah, Musang Queen, Green Bamboo) - yellow flesh, wrinkly, numbing, alcoholic, deep, profound flavor (some say more than Musanking), nice floral flavor with strong bitter notes, fibrous

Red Prawn (D175, Ang3 Haeh2, Hong Xia, Ang Hay, Udang Merah) - light pink tone, ice cream on a toasted waffle, intensely cherry-sweet to a mellow cherry-wine cream, sticky, sweet, careful buying (D13 is sometimes passed off as RP), rich and pungent aroma, used in durian ice cream

D13 ("Fake" Red Prawn) - deep orange color, mostly sweet, sometimes bitter and pungent, big seeds, low price, good for first-timers

XO (subspecies of D24) - yellow, soft texture, alcohol flavor like French Brandy

Black Thorn (D200, Or3Chi3) - very deep and rich yellow flesh, very sweet and custardy, velvety texture, big seeds, can rival Musanking in bitterness and sweetness, watch out for fake ones

Golden Phoenix or Jin Feng (D198) - strong smell, white or slightly pale yellow, mistaken for being rotten (robust aroma), strong, bold taste, bitter, small seed, floral,  2nd most popular in Singapore

S17 - thick, creamy texture, bitter, pungent, big seeds, one blogger said "best I have ever tasted"

Black Pearl - whitish, yellow flesh, bitter, slightly sweet, small seed, extremely smooth and delicate

D101 (Mas) - reddish, slightly sweet and bitter, creamy, herbal, fibrous, thick

D1- small seed, unique creamy texture and thick flesh

Kun Poh - super soft and messy, creamy, gorgeous orange color, complex milk-coffee flavor

Little Red - sibling of Kun Poh

Kapri - most alcoholic durian, white flesh, nutty and banana flavor, very creamy

Hor Lor (D163) - drier, sweeter, less pungent, mild-tasting, good durian for novices, sticky and nutty (Reeses Peanut Butter Cup)

D14 - a personal favorite of durianwriter, thick and rich, hint of bitter and hazelnut nuttiness

Milk Durian (Durian Susu) - bittersweet to bitter, little fiber, tastes like milk, creamy and sticky

Kampung (888) - good for first-timers, cheap, locals like them

D88 - a Kampung durian, thick flesh, little sweet and a bit bitter, slightly alcoholic, fibrous, dry but still creamy, very filling, a bit hard to find

Tupai King - dark, yellow flesh with blue-gey striping, cough syrup fragrance, boozy, syrupy, sweet, fruity, loved by squirrels

D2 Dato Nina - sweet, roasted honey

D15 - bitter and alcoholic

Ganja - fleshy, sticky and cookie-dough sweet

Lao Tai Po - moist and wrinkly, bitter-sweet, buttery and creamy, pale

Tawa or D162 - mildly bitter, lightly creamy

D28 - orange-grey color, thick, rosy red wine notes, chocolate bitters, 

Durian Sempe - a wild durian, sweet and tropical, has crazy chemical zing

Gold Fish Durian (Kim3 Hu2)

D118 (Tembaga) - super bitter, alcoholic

Golden Lobster - big, yellow flesh, bitterness followed by sweetness, creamy, floral, large seeds

Centipede Durian (Ya3kang1) -white flesh, superb taste, milky, like sweet, melting chocolate

D11 (Cap3-It1 Ho33) - creamy, pleasant taste and subtle smell, popular in 70s

D168 (101/101) - yellow pulp, smooth flesh, candy-like sweetness, slightly bitter after-taste, thick and creamy, large seeds

D604 (Lark3khong1see3) - quite sweet and silky, has some "body"

Green Skin (15) -  yellowish flesh, surprisingly rich and creamy taste, big seeds, mead-like

Red Yolk Durian (Ang3 Jin2) - deep orange flesh, very sweet and tasty

Red Heart (Ang3 Sim1) - dark yellow, quite soft, very sweet

Khun Poh - orange flesh, slightly bitter-sweet, heavy aroma

Many of the descriptions I got for the durian varieties I pulled directly from Year of the Durian.  Check out their site!