On the steep hillsides of the Crocker Mountain Range grows a unique durian species that thrives at high elevations. Although uncultivated and generally neglected by botanists and agronomists, it’s a local favorite for its simple sweet flavor. It’s still one of the least well known of the edible jungle durians, although it is easy to find if you know where to look.
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Photo courtesy of Anthony Lamb |
Description
When Rob and I found the tree, the fruits weren’t quite ripe. Rob climbed the tree and picked one for me to look at close up. They were a beautiful pale green on the outside and completely inedible on the inside. The spines were already large and blocky, with four almost flat faces meeting in a tip. I thought it was one of the most beautiful durian shapes and brought one with me to Penang to show Mr. Chang. I could just imagine that it would taste heavenly, like the sweet ambrosia from the top of Mount Olympus.
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Rob in a durio kinabaluensis tree |
We had to leave Borneo the next day, so I haven’t been able to taste this durian yet. About a month later our contact in the region, Anthony Lamb, sent me photos of the ripe fruit. These pictures are published with his permission. Thanks Tony!
Anthony says that while he doesn’t much care for this durian, it’s quite popular with the locals. The aril is white or pale yellow, quite thick, and characterized by sweetness similar to that of Durio oxleyanus.
Distribution and Season
Durio kinabaluensis comes into season about a month later than other durian species. Last year (2012) it’s peak was at the end of December and beginning of January.
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Photo courtesy of Anthony Lamb |
Local Names
I know of only two local names for this durian: Tapuloh, Durian Kinabalu
Scientific Name
Her collections, along with a specimen of this durian’s flower, were sent to the University in Bogor, Java, where they gathered dust for 20 years. Eventually, somebody took interest in the dried up flower specimen and decided it was different enough from other durian flowers to warrant a new species. That somebody, or rather somebodies, were partners AJ Kosterman and Wertit Soegeng Reksodihardjo, who were both given credit for naming a species they never actually saw.
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Photo courtesy of Anthony Lamb |
Kosterman never would see (or taste!) the fruit of Durio kinabaluensis, hence the complete lack of a description of flavor in his famous durian monograph. I find this to be a travesty, as the flavor is the most important part of the durian experience. But I guess anything is better than nothing when it comes to durian. Shortly before he died, Kosterman visited Sabah in time to see the trees in flower. He was thrilled.
Growing Durio Kinabaluensis
Back to A Complete List of Durian Species
References
- Durio Kinabaluensis by TK Lim
- The Genus Durio Adans by AJ Kosterman
- Mary Strong Clemens
- Durio of Malaysia by Salma Idris
- The Species of Durio with Edible Fruits by Wertit Soegeng- Reksodihardjo
You Might Also Like:
- A Complete List of Durian Species
- Finding Peace in Sri Aman, Sarawak
- Kalimantan: Finding Durian in Borneo’s Wild Wild West
Britany says
Would love to obtain it’s seeds!!
[email protected] says
Sorry, I don’t sell seeds, but you can always inquire at The Seed Pirates.
Vlk says
Wow, most extraordinary durian indeed. Very beautiful and the high elevation thriving is quite uncommon to other durio species. Different spikes from any other durio species I saw on pictures. I wonder how hard it would be to get seeds of this species? Amazing, thank you for sharing once again! 🙂