Musang King
Musang King is a Malaysian cultivar of durian. Prized for its unusual combination of bitter and sweet flavours, Musang King is the most popular variety of durian in both Malaysia and Singapore, where it is known as Mao Shan Wang and commands a price premium over other varieties. It is also increasingly popular in China, where it has been dubbed the "Hermès of durian".
History
Musang King was originally known as Raja Kunyit, meaning "Turmeric King", a reference to the fruit's turmeric-colored deep yellow flesh. The first Raja Kunyit tree was planted by a farmer in 1970 at Pulau Raya, Tanah Merah, Kelantan before it was "moved" to Gua Musang. In the 1980s, a man named Tan Lai Fook from Raub, Pahang stumbled upon a Raja Kunyit durian tree in Gua Musang, Kelantan, Malaysia. He brought a branch of the tree back to Raub for grafting, and this new breed attracted other cultivators. The cultivar was named after Gua Musang, its place of origin. Musang King has been assigned the cultivar ID D197. The Chinese name, literally "Cat Mountain King", may be either a phonetic rendering of musang or a reference to its Malay meaning, the cat-like Asian [palm civet].In 2017, Musang King became the first variety of durian to have its genome sequenced. The sequencing showed upregulation of pathways related to sulfur, lipid oxidation and ethylene when compared to both other fruits and other durian cultivars like Mon Thong, which correlates with the pungency and stronger perceived taste and smell of the cultivar.
Musang King has geographical indication status in Malaysia, preventing other countries from using the name.