Durian for breakfast, 2014

Imagine waking up in the morning to look out at one of the most stunning vistas on Penang island. It's quite a view, isn't it? In the far distance is the estuary of the Pinang River after which this particular part of the island is called: Sungai Pinang.

As I drove up from the new Balik Pulau market towards Telok Bahang, I reached Titi Kerawang after about 20 minutes through a winding road. Titi Kerawang is where a waterfall is located but it can't be seen from the road. It would be necessary to park the car nearby and walk inwards towards the falls. And about a further 100 metres up the road, this sign would loom on the left side.

Drive straight in, but taking care to negotiate slowly and carefully down the slope before parking the car. The Bao Sheng Durian Farm with its homestay villas is just there.

The Bao Sheng Durian Farm is actually the home of my friend, TS Chang (otherwise known as Durian Seng to his durian customers), whom I've known for close to 20 years. That would have been in the mid-1990s. Got to know him because we were once Internet kakis.

And every year - well, most every year, because his home is so far away from my house in Bukit Mertajam - I'd visit him to enjoy the fruits of his harvest. He now operates his durian business solely from his home because the Bao Sheng name has spread so tremendously. The great demand for his quality fruits means he can no longer cope with bringing his durian fruits nearer to George Town. Previously, he would open a temporary shed in Lebuh Bukit Jambul (near the Equatorial Hotel) and even bring his fruits down to Thean Teik Road. But not any more.

So these are his durian fruits. Various names and varied types of shapes, sizes, flavours and fragrance. But they all boil down to one thing: guaranteed good quality - full flavoured - durian that ripen on the trees and fall down.

When I arrived at Bao Sheng yesterday morning at 7.15a.m., there was nobody in sight, not even Durian Seng and his family. Too early for visitors, I suppose.

But in the distance, I could hear the sound of a motorcycle revving away as it went along the hilly path to collect the fallen fruits. Soon enough, the motorcycle arrived back at his home with a basket fully laden with the fruits. Several trips later, the floor was covered by a layer of durian and his staff appeared to sort them out and label them for delivery to buyers elsewhere.

As for me, I waited patiently until Durian Seng was free enough to join me for a breakfast of tongue-numbing durian that we washed everything down with some freshly brewed pu'er tea. And that's a little-known fact about freshly dropped durian fruits.

If you are lucky enough to come across a freshly dropped durian, meaning that it had dropped less than two hours, the taste of the durian pulp is not only exquisitely delicious but it delivers a slightly numbing or tingling effect on our tongue. And that's a rare durian experience.

Durian aficionados look forward to this sensation but you would have to be very lucky to come across such a fruit. Obviously, the fruits that we come across selling at fruit stalls in the towns and the city would have lost this feature as hours would have passed since these fruits were picked and delivered.

While having my durian breakfast, I threw a glance over his plantation. There, below where we sat, was one of his villas completely surrounded by lush greenery. It's quite possible for people to book one of his villas for an overnight stay. You'd wake up in the morning to the sounds of nature and the wide open vista of Sungai Pinang below you. And what's more, during the durian season, there's always this lovely sight at eye level when you look out the window:

In any case, if you want to enjoy a spot of fresh durian and get a tour of his farm at Sungai Pinang, just give a call to Durian Seng (012.4110600). He has various packages to suit visitors ranging from the basic RM25 package to an extravagant RM120 package! In any case, click here for the Bao Sheng Durian Farm website.

Bao Sheng Durian Farm's second season

How can I ever miss turning down an invitation to the Bao Sheng Durian Farm in Sungai Pinang, 10 kilometres from Balik Pulau town on the "other side" of Penang island, when an enticing picture of a durian fruit is posted on the owner's facebook page?

Despite not feeling entirely well, still recovering from a sore throat and a loss of voice, I chose to make the 57-kilometre journey from my house in Bukit Mertajam to Sungai Pinang.

When I arrived at Bao Sheng, nobody was in sight. Not the owner, Durian Seng, nor his wife or children. So I decided to simply walk down the trail from his house into the valley below.

And soon enough, I caught sight of Durian Seng, with a basket on his back, as he went searching for durians.

"The end-of-year season has just started," he told me, "and there aren't too many that has dropped. But I tell you, the quality looks better than earlier in the year." He said that he was surprised with the D604 strain which turned out so much more yellow and creamier.

We walked back up the steep track to his house. There, we found a few people who had arrived since I did.

Without skipping a beat, Durian Seng launched into his explanations of the durian, how to determine that the fruit was fresh and not stale, which part of the fruit to sniff for the best fragrance, and how to tell whether the fruit was ripe enough.

So how long will the season last, I asked. "Until the middle of December," he replied. There may still be supplies after that but the quality at the tail-end of a season would have gone down.

While we were talking, a family arrived and started unpacking their bags. "They are here for the homestay programme," Durian Seng explained. The family made their way through his property and checked into the dual chalets a few metres from his house. The chalets flanked a small swimming pool. Further away was another chalet, a newer one that was completed in the middle of this year, with its own pool. "We don't provide meals or cooking facilities," he explained, "but only the fruits from the plantation." It would cost RM180 per night for a chalet stay, he added.

More information about the Bao Sheng Durian Farm.

Another trip to Bao Sheng Durian Farm

It is still not too late to make a trip to the Bao Sheng Durian Farm in Sungai Pinang, about 10 kilometres either direction from Balik Pulau or Teluk Bahang. Still time to savour some of the most delectable durian fruit in the country. The end-of-year season will most probably last until the middle of December.

Just last week, I managed to pull along two friends to visit TS Chang (more popularly known as Durian Seng). I've been here countless times but this was the first time for Long Kin and Heng Swee. I don't think they were disappointed with the visit. I never am.

Despite it being a weekday, there were quite a number of other people around. That says a lot about the popularity of Bao Sheng, doesn't it? Its name is already known far and wide. For the record, we had the Green Skin Ang Bak, Hor Lor and Red Prawn. Good variety.

Durian Seng with Heng Swee, myself and Long Kin before the start of the feast. 

Durian Seng's son has obviously learnt well from his father. 

Me with the Ang Heh (Red Prawn) variety. 

Bao Sheng's durian season 2011

Here's just a very short reminder to afficionados that the durian season is just about to take off at the Bao Sheng durian farm and villa. The expected dates for the various varieties on offer:

604 (minimum 3+ rating) 1-28 June 2011;
Lipan (centipede) (minimum 4+ rating) 5 June - 4 July 2011;
Kunpoh angbak (red meat) (minimum 4 rating) 8 June - 4 July 2011;
Little red (minimum 3+ rating) 10 June - 6 July 2011;
Green skin angbak (red meat) (minimum 3+ rating) 10 June - 6 July 2011;
D600 (minimum 3+ rating) 10 June - 6 July 2011;
Kapri (minimum 4+ rating) 12 June - 10 July 2011;
D11 (minimum 4 rating) 12 June - 10 July 2011;
Horlor (minimum 5 rating) 18 June - 22 July 2011; 
Red prawn (minimum 5 rating) 20 June - 25 July 2011;
Green skin D15 (minimum 4+ rating) 25 June - 30 July 2011;
D99 (minimum 3+ rating) 25 June - 30 July 2011;
D15 (minimum 3+ rating) 25 June - 30 July 2011.

Here's where you can learn more about the Bao Sheng Durian Farm and its owner, TS Chang, who can be contacted at +60124110600 or ts@e.net.my

Bao Sheng's Durian Villa

I made a dash for the Bao Sheng Durian Farm on Wednesday to look in on the Durian Villa built by durian plantation owner Chang Teik Seng. Yes, like he had described to me earlier, the Villa comprises two small huts with a king-size bed, a cupboard, an attached bathroom and a flat-screen television, and separated by a small three-foot-deep pool. All in warm, earthy colours to complement the lush green settings of Sungai Pinang on the other side of Penang island.

When I arrived, workmen were still around to widen and cement the road at his farm so that visitors could park their cars in the compound more easily and there would be more open space to hold durian parties. There are plans, he told me, to build two more huts further down the road, spacing them further apart so that there'd be more privacy for homestay tourists.

I took a look around. It has been such a long time that I had taken in the breath-taking view of the south-western of the island which overlooks the town of Balik Pulau. Chang is lucky to live here away from the hustle and bustle of the city but more importantly, surrounded by such greenery, quietness and nature.

There was already a group of his friends around, no doubt all of them were durian connoisseurs. We were waiting for another small party of people to arrive. But today, there would be no big durian feast yet. The season still has not started so not many of the fruits have dropped yet. All around us, we could see fruiting trees. Some of the fruits were high up in the trees, so much so that Chang had to spread nets beneath the trees to collect those that drop. There were also fruits that were just at eye level.

Chang took us on a tour of his farm. Actually, farm is a misnomer because it is actually an estate or plantation land on a hill slope with trees and shrubs growing everywhere. There's simply no order at all. And there's no clear demarcation where it starts and where it ends. There's a path leading down the slope. "It takes five minutes to walk down," he said, "but 15 minutes to walk up." And he does that five or six times a day. Don't have to ask if he is physically fit; he is...

And ultimately, there was the durian tasting. As I mentioned earlier, it's still too early for the season to be considered started. But there were some early fruits that had dropped in the last 24 hours. Enough for our small group.

First of all, Chang took pains to explain the ins and outs of choosing durians. First, make sure that the stalk is fresh and not dried up. Sometimes, he said, durian sellers try to fool their customers by slicing off the tip of the semi-dried stalk to pass off the fruit as fresh. Next, place the durian close to the ear and shake it. If you can hear or feel slight knocks within the fruit, then it must be okay. If it knocks a lot, the durian may not be ripe and if it doesn't knock, chances are that it is soggy already. And finally, give it a good sniff near the stalk to take in the aroma. Now you know....

Interested to try the durians at Bao Sheng Durian Farm? Just call Chang at 012-4110600 to make reservations and check the availability of the fruits. Getting there is easy: turn left at the Teluk Bahang roundabout and travel for about nine kilometres. The Farm is on the right side of the road. You can't miss it; there's a signboard there. To know the rates for his all-you-can-eat durian parties, click here.

Durian 2012: poor season expected

The durian is in season now; it started perhaps about a week ago. But be forewarned: the fruit farmers in Balik Pulau have been hit hard this year because of the rainy weather. According to Durian Seng of the Bao Sheng Durian Farm and Homestay in Sungai Pinang, about 13 kilometres from Balik Pulau town, the rain had caused a lot of damage to the flowers. As such, the harvest this year has been greatly affected.

How has this reduced your durian harvest, I asked him earlier this week at Bao Sheng. "I lost about 80 percent of the flowers," he told me. "This is considered okay already lah," he continued, "because other farmers have reported losses of flowers of around 90 percent."

"See this tree?" he asked. "There are just four or five fruits. Last year, the branches were filled with fruits."

Salvaging these fruits for the market is a big challenge, he admitted. According to him, the poor harvest is forcing wild animals like squirrels to come into his orchard in search of food. They are competing with us humans for the durian.

So while the season has begun, durian afficionados are well advised to begin their feasting early. Wait too long and for sure, there may not be enough durian around to satisfy everyone's craving. Worse, I foresee that the durian prices can only go north as the weeks progress.

For more information on Bao Sheng, their website is here. But just a note: do not drop by the durian farm without making an appointment or otherwise, you may be disappointed. Moreover, the prices for the durian packages are only indicative. It's best to contact Durian Seng directly and book your visit.

Bao Sheng's durian timetable for 2013

This is the latest durian timetable for 2013, as released by my friend, Durian Seng, of the Bao Sheng Durian Farm in Sungai Pinang, Penang. I haven't attempted to clean up any of the text yet because I'd like the information to speak for itself:

New Durian time table - 2013年。新榴莲时间表 June July August

D604 1 - 23 June / 15 July - 5 August 2013 黄肉乾包。黏喉。香滑顺喉 rating 3+ 最低消费 RM10 起跳。顶级RM35/公斤

Lipan 蜈蚣 3 - 23 June / 17 July - 15 August 2013 米色。肉黏喉代苦。纯粹芳香。香滑顺喉 rating 4+ 最低消费 RM25 起跳。顶级RM55/公斤

Kunpoh angbak 坤宝红肉 3 June - 3 July / 15 July - 12 August 2013肉红。黏喉代苦。四十年树龄以上会代黑色。rating 4最低消费 RM20起跳。顶级RM45/公斤

Little red 小红 5 - 28 June / 15 July - 8 August 2013 肉红。香甜顺滑。rating 3+最低费 RM15 起跳。顶级RM25/公斤

D600 10 June - 2 July / 15 July - 5 August 2013 金黄色。味苦。rating 3+最低消费 RM15 起跳。顶级RM25/公斤

Kapri 甲必利 15 June - 5 July 2013 百色肉。味苦。纯粹芳香。四十年树龄以上会代黑色。rating 4+ 最低消费 RM20 起跳。顶级RM35/公斤

D11 十一号 15 June - 5 July / 20 July - 15 August 2013 肉米色。味香甜。黏喉。rating 4 最低消费 RM20 起跳。顶级RM35/公斤

Horlor 葫芦 18 June - 8 July / 1 - 20 August 2013 色金黄。黏喉。纯粹芳香。rating 5 最低消费 RM25 起跳 。顶级RM60/公斤

Red prawn 红虾 。季节 20 June - 8 July / 5 - 20 August 2013。色粉红。 味觉甜中代苦。纯粹芳香。肉嫩黏喉。顺滑可囗。果肉浓厚无纤维。四十年树龄以上会代黑色。而刚掉落会让舌尖有麻痹的感觉。挑战味蕾。叫馋舌为之颤愕。 Rating 5 Star 最低消费 RM30 起跳。顶级RM70/公斤

Green skin 青皮D15 18 June - 8 July 2013 色米黄。味甜代苦。肉嫩顺滑可囗。四十年树龄以上会代黑色。rating 4+ 最低消费 RM20 起跳。顶级RM45/公斤

D99 20 June - 10 July 2013 金黄色。甜中代苦。纯粹芳香。肉嫩黏喉。果肉浓厚 rating 3+ 最低消费 RM15 起跳。顶级RM35/公斤

D15 25 June - 15 July 2013 金黄色。甜中代苦。黏喉。果肉浓厚 rating 3-最低消费 RM15 起跳。顶级RM25/公斤

Kunjit 黄姜 20 June - 5 July / 20 July - 5 August 2013 深黄色。甜中代苦。黏喉。rating 4 最低消费 RM30 起跳。顶级RM55/公斤

Bak eu 白肉油 22 June - 5 July 2013 白色肉。甜中代苦。黏喉。纯粹芳香。果肉浓厚。rating 4+ 最低消费 RM20 起跳。顶级RM35/公斤

Ganjau 长帝 25 June - 15 July 2013 黄肉。甜中代苦。黏喉。果肉浓厚。rating 4 最低消费 RM15

What's in a name, really!

During my last visit to the Bao Sheng Durian Farm last Friday with my brothers-in-law, I was asked to hold onto Jackie Chan's wife. And I obliged. But don't get me wrong. She wasn't there in person. All I was asked to do was to hold this durian which had been named after her.

So allow me introduce you to Lin Feng-jiao. Why it is so called, I don't know. But I do know that I won't be exactly happy if someone names a fruit after me, even with my consent. Will it be a credible honour? Or will it be a dubious honour? Anyway, now you have been properly introduced to the Lin Feng-jiao durian, you can start to get to know this fruit better. I know I did. And my brothers-in-law can vouch for me.

Let me add that the many varieties of durian on the local market have all sorts of exotic names. Maybe about 10 or 20 years ago, we would only hear of the D11 or D25 or D604 but today, you would get confused over the newer names. Okay, maybe some of the names are not really that new but they are there to trip you up nevertheless.

Going back even further, when I was young, life was even simpler. All that I was ever familiar with were the local durian kampung -- selling in heaps at the five-foot way of the townhouses opposite the Kuantan Road junction -- as opposed to the humongously huge Thai durian which we would all treat with utter disdain. "Thai durian? Nah! All sweetness with no particular fragrance. All volume with no particular taste. All noise with no particular melody." Yes, all noise with no particular melody, like some political parties in Putrajaya. As a child, I was already aware of the sub-standard Thai durian.

Over at the Bao Sheng Durian Farm, there are at least 10 different local varieties available at different times of the season with the D604 dropping earliest. Then there are the Centipede (Lipan), Kun Poh Ang Bak, Little Red, D600, Capri, D11, Hor Lor, Red Prawn (Ang Heh), Green Skin, D99, D15, Kunyit, Bak Eu and Ganja.

Despite having known TS Chang (Durian Seng) for more than 20 years, I have yet to taste all the varieties that he claims to have. But I can assure you that his D604, Centipede, Kun Poh Ang Bak, Hor Lor, Green Skin, Bak Eu and Red Prawn are among the best I've ever eaten. Give yourself a treat at his durian plantation on the other side of Penang Island, and then scoot on down to the quaint little Balik Pulau town for a bowl of steaming laksa.

At my last visit on Friday, after delighting me with the Lin Feng-jiao, he surprised me with another durian variety that was named Monkey Durian. "You haven't tasted it before? It's from my wife's family's estate. This fruit here is the last from that tree," said Chang.

See what I mean when I said that there are all sorts of exotic names for the varieties? The mind boggles...

Relatives @ Bao Sheng

Busy day for me yesterday. Had been arranging an afternoon trip to the Bao Sheng Durian Farm in Sungai Pinang - 10km driving distance from either Teluk Bahang or Balik Pulau town - for my far-flung, some long-lost relatives from the Oh clan (my mother's side of the family). Some had driven all the way from the Klang Valley just for this mini-reunion.

Oh yes, after driving down from Sungai Pinang, I stopped by the Eurasian Fiesta at the St Xavier's Branch School in Pulau Tikus. Had a whale of an interesting evening, stuffed with good food and good entertainment.

Family day at Bao Sheng Durian Farm

As my daughter was back from Kuala Lumpur during the Hari Raya holiday break, I planned a family day outing last Sunday.

Our first stop was at the Bao Sheng Durian Farm in Sungai Pinang on the island where we were treated to some of the best fruits at TS Chang's durian plantation. According to him, it was almost the end of the season already and there weren't many varieties left. Still, we were fortunate to be able to try the D15, D18 and the Ang Heh varieties.

One of them was still freshly dropped and my family could savour, for the very first time, the slightly numbing effect on their lips. Good experience for them since all the time, they could only hear of it from me without experiencing it at first hand.

Giving the high five sign with TS Chang and his wife.

Durian season 2011

The 2011 durian season is in full swing. At the spur of the moment last Saturday, I decided to make an unplanned call on my old friend Chang Teik Seng (aka Durian Seng) and his wife, Yen Kim, at the Bao Sheng Durian Farm in Sungai Pinang. That's on the "other" side of the island, about 12 kilometers from Balik Pulau town. Long drive, but since I was already in George Town, I realised that it wouldn't be as bad as making a specific trip from Bukit Mertajam just to go there!

When I say the durian season is in full swing, I mean it. All the way from Teluk Bahang until his home, there must have been at least seven or eight orchards and roadside stalls selling the king of fruits. So tempted to stop at the larger ones but I knew that I would be spoiling my appetite.

As I expected, Durian Seng's home was swarming with people. All had arrived to savour the fruit from his farm. Full house, eh, I asked to him. Yah, he replied, but there was a bigger group that had just left. Obviously, the fame of his durian farm has spread far and wide. He wants me to help him create an advertisement on facebook but in my opinion, he doesn't need any more publicity for his durian. He already has his hands full by my reckoning.

I brought home three varieties that day. First one was the Green Skin Ang Bak. One of his helpers had just arrived at his home with a basketful of freshly dropped durians. He looked through the fruits and picked out one (the one he's holding in his right hand). This, he said, is specially for you. And yes, when he opened it, the fragrance and flavour were something really unforgetable. I had to help myself to some before packing the rest away.

But the weakness in me wanted more durians. So into the container went a D11 variety. Ah, another special one for you, he said, and without even opening the fruit he guaranteed me that the seeds of this fruit would be very small and there'd be lots of pulp. And true enough, when I was enjoying the fruit with my family later, we found that the shrivelled seeds were indeed covered wih thick, delicious golden pulp.

And finally, the last variety I enjoyed was the Bak Eu. According to him, this variety would normally drop later so what I had was an early dropper. The Bak Eu, by the way, has a paler yellow pulp, very unlike the other two varieties which were bright orange. But don't let the colour deceive anyone. This variety is equally fabulous though it tasted a bit milder than the other two.

So how much longer will this year's season last, I wondered? At least one more month until the second half of July, he answered. So there you have it. This year's durian season has just started and it looks like a very fruitful year for him.

Click here for the Bao Sheng Durian Farm website.

Looking forward to 2011 durian season

Durian season is almost upon us and the good news, while we await the season to begin, is that the weather is turning drier. The flowers have a better chance of remaining on the trees and hopefully, we'll see a bountiful harvest.

According to my durian friend TS Chang who owns the Bao Sheng Durian Farm in Sungai Pinang, near Balik Pulau on the island, the first flowers started appearing last month (that is, March) and these fruits should be available in June. He says there are more blooms on the way.

There are so many varieties of durians on his estate that sometimes, he needs to come out with a little time table to help aficionados satisfy their annual cravings. Here's what he told me: D604 (1-28 Jun); Lipan (5 Jun-4 Jul); Kunpoh angbak (8 Jun-4 Jul); Little red, Green skin angbak and D600 (10 Jun-6 Jul); Kapri and D11 (12 Jun-10 Jul); Horlor (18 Jun-22 Jul); Red prawn (20 Jun-25 Jul); and finally, Green skin D15, D99 and D15 25 Jun-30 Jul). Just bear in mind that these dates are approximate but the chances are good that they will be available during these ranges of dates.

And he says that his farmstay is open for people who wants to book an overnight experience that combines a breath-taking view of the sunset on the other side of the island with a durian feast that can last the whole day if the guest is up to it.

Here's where you can learn more about Chang and his Bao Sheng Durian Farm. He can be contacted at +60124110600 or ts@e.net.my

Rare durian experience

I had a most unusual durian experience recently at the Bao Sheng Durian Villa in Sungai Pinang recently. Sungai Pinang is about equidistant between Teluk Bahang in the north and Balik Pulau in the south. So there I was, visiting Chang Teik Seng to talk durian with him when he revealed to me that the best durian to eat would be one that had dropped from the tree not more than two hours earlier.

"It's very rare that anyone would get a chance to experience this," Durian Seng told me. Yes, that's his popular nickname all right. Almost everybody calls him that, except me.

"It's rare because even the durian that people buy in the town (he's referring to Balik Pulau town) have already dropped for a few hours already. Even the ones you see in the durian farms, " he said while waving his hand across the fruits lined up at his Sungai Pinang home which overlooks a gorgeous view of the south-western side of Penang island, "have dropped for a few hours already."

Why so, I asked him. What's so unusual about a freshly-dropped fruit?

"It's about the taste. When you eat this type of fruit, your tongue and lips will go slightly numb," he explained. There must have been a disbelieving look on my face because he quickly insisted that it's true.

"Let's wait a while and see whether my people manages to bring back any fresh durian from the plantation," he said. I looked out into the distance. It is all greenery out there - full of fruit trees - with no clear delineation of where his land starts and where it ends.

I have walked down the slopes of his vast estate before. A 15-minute leisurely walk would have taken me to a small stream but I never made it that far. I ran for cover when I saw a one-metre long brown animal snaking its way towards me. "That's a cobra," Chang told me helpfully, "but don't worry." Don't worry about a cobra? No way. I wasn't going to wait down there and see another friendly critter approach me! I'd rather wait in the comfort of his home.

Pretty soon, our conversation was broken by the sound of a motor-cycle. One of his people was bringing back some durian. "Any fresh ones there? " he called out to his man. Out of the six that were unloaded, there was one. "You are lucky," he said.

He took a look at it, sniffed it and then banged the fruit on the floor repeatedly. "We'll have to wait for another 30 minutes," he said. Well, he is the Durian Master and this is the King Of Fruits. No arguing, I suppose. So I waited out the time while he continued telling me about the various types of durian in his plantation.

After a while, he took a sniff at the fruit again and decided that it was time to open the fruit. To me, the outward appearance of this particular fruit looked the same as any other. Even when it was opened, the fine pale yellow pulp looked as typical as any other too. But when I took a small bite out of the pulp and waited for the taste to sink it, I realised that it was true. Apart from the usual heavenly taste of his durian, I could slowly feel a mild numbness spreading on my tongue and then to my lips.

That's a weird sensation, I thought to myself. How could a durian do this to me?

I suppose it happens because of enzyme change. When the fruit drops from the tree, the process begins immediately within the fruit. The chemical conversion of the carbohydrate slowly builds up to a small peak about two hours or so after it has dropped. If this fruit is enjoyed at the right time, we shall be exposed to the enzymes and products of this conversion. But thereafter, they evaporate quickly and what's left is the normal taste of the durian that we are accustomed to.

Like I mentioned earlier, it's very rare that one can come across such a fruit. You'd need to be around a durian farm for this to happen and even then, it's all a matter of luck. Lots of luck, actually. I happened to have my durian luck at the Bao Sheng Durian Farm and Villa. Perhaps you can get lucky too.

In any case, if you want to enjoy a spot of fresh durian and get a tour of his farm at Sungai Pinang, just give a call to Durian Seng (012.4110600). He has various durian packages to suit every durian aficionado: RM25 package, RM35 package, RM45 package and even an extravagant RM88 package which covers you durian for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Chinese surnames: where do you rank?

Whether we like it or not, we are all in the minority. Below is the latest ranking of Chinese surnames in China, given to me by someone. And if we tally up all the percentages for the top 10 surnames, it only adds up to 44.1 per cent. Hardly a majority:

01李 (Li) 7.94% 02王 (Wang) 7.41% 03張 (Zhang) 7.07% 04劉 (Liu) 5.38% 05陳 (Chen) 4.53% 06楊 (Yang) 3.08% 07趙 (Zhao) 2.29% 08黃 (Huang) 2.23% 09周 (Zhou) 2.12% 10吳 (Wu) 2.05%

11徐 (Xu) 12孫 (Sun) 13胡 (Hu) 14朱 (Zhu) 15高 (Gao) 16林 (Lin)  17何 (He)  18 郭 (Guo) 19馬 (Ma) 20羅 (Luo) 21梁 (Liang) 22宋 (Song) 23鄭 (Zheng) 24謝 (Xie) 25韓 (Han) 26唐 (Tang) 27馮 (Feng) 28於 (Yu) 29董 (Dong) 30蕭 (Xiao) 31程 (Cheng) 32曹 (Cao) 33袁 (Yuan) 34鄧 (Deng) 35許 (Xu) 36傅 (Fu) 37沈 (Chen) 38曾 (Ceng) 39彭 (Peng) 40呂 (Lu) 41蘇 (Su) 42盧 (Lu) 43蔣 (Jiang) 44蔡 (Cai) 45賈 (Jia) 46丁 (Ding) 47魏 (Wei) 48薛 (Xue) 49葉 (Ye) 50閻 (Yan) 51餘 (Yu) 52潘 (Pan) 53杜 (Du) 54戴 (Dai) 55夏 (Xia) 56鐘 (Zhong) 57汪 (Wang) 58田 (Tian) 59任 (Ren) 60姜 (Jiang) 61範 (Fan) 62方 (Fang) 63石 (Shi) 64姚 (Yao) 65譚 (Tan) 66廖 (Liao) 67鄒 (Zou) 68熊 (Xiong) 69金 (Jin) 70陸 (Lu) 71郝 (Hao) 72孔 (Kong) 73白(Bai) 74崔 (Cui) 75康 (Kang) 76毛 (Mao) 77邱 (Qiu) 78秦 (Qin) 79江 (Jiang) 80史 (Shi) 81顧 (Gu) 82侯 (Hou) 83邵 (Shao) 84孟 (Meng) 85龍 (Long) 86萬 (Wan) 87段 (Duan) 88漕 (Cao) 89錢 (Qian) 90湯 (Tang) 91尹 (Yin) 92黎 (Li) 93易 (Yi) 94常 (Chang) 95武 (Wu) 96喬 (Qiao) 97賀 (He) 98賴 (Lai) 99龔 (Gong) 100文 (Wen)

101龐 (Pang) 102樊 (Fan) 103蘭 (Lan) 104殷 (Yin) 105施 (Shi) 106陶 (Tao) 107洪 (Hong) 108翟 (Di) 109安 (An) 110顏 (Yan) 111倪 (Ni) 112嚴 (Yan) 113牛 (Niu) 114溫 (Wen) 115蘆 (Lu) 116季 (Ji) 117俞 (Yu) 118章 (Zhang) 119魯 (Lu) 120葛 (Ge) 121伍 (Wu) 122韋 (Wei) 123申 (Shen) 124尤 (You) 125畢 (Bi) 126聶 (Nie) 127叢 (Cong) 128焦 (Jiao) 129向 (Xiang) 130柳 (Liu) 131邢 (Xing) 132路 (Lu) 133岳 (Yue) 134齊 (Qi) 135沿 (Yan) 136梅 (Mei) 137莫 (Mo) 138莊 (Zhuang) 139辛 (Xin) 140管 (Guan) 141祝 (Zhu) 142左 (Zuo) 143塗 (Tu) 144谷 (Gu) 145祁 (Qi) 146時 (Shi) 147舒 (Shu) 148耿 (Geng) 149牟 (Mou) 150卜 (Bo) 151路 (Lu) 152詹 (Zhan) 153關 (Guan) 154苗 (Miao) 155凌 (Ling) 156費 (Fei) 157紀 (Ji) 158靳 (Jin) 159盛 (Sheng) 160童 (Tong) 161歐 (Ou) 162甄 (Zhen) 163項 (Xiang) 164曲 (Qu) 165成 (Cheng) 166遊 (You) 167陽 (Yang) 168裴 (Pei) 169席 (Xi) 170衛 (Wei) 171查 (Cha) 172屈 (Qu) 173鮑 (Bao) 174位 (Wei) 175覃 (Tan) 176霍 (Huo) 177翁 (Weng) 178隋 (Sui) 179植 (Zhi) 180甘 (Gan) 181景 (Jing) 182薄 (Bao) 183單 (Dan) 184包 (Bao) 185司 (Si) 186柏 (Bai) 187寧 (Ning) 188柯 (Ke) 189阮 (Ruan) 190桂 (Gui) 191閔 (Min) 192歐陽 (Ou Yang) 193解 (Jie) 194強 (Qiang) 195柴 (Chai) 196華 (Hua) 197車 (Che) 198冉 (Ran) 199房 (Fang) 200邊 (Bian)

201辜 (Gu) 202吉(Ji) 203饒 (Rao) 204刁 (Diao) 205瞿 (Qu) 206戚 (Qi) 207丘 (Qiu) 208古 (Gu) 209米 (Mi) 210池 (Chi) 211滕 (Teng) 212晉 (Jin) 213苑 (Yuan) 214鄔 (Wu) 215臧 (Zang) 216暢 (Chang) 217宮(Gong) 218來 (Lai) 219嵺 (Liao) 220苟 (Gou) 221全(Quan) 222褚 (Chu) 223廉 (Lian) 224簡 (Jian) 225婁(Lou) 226蓋 (Gai) 227符 (Fu) 228奚 (Xi) 229木(Mu) 230穆 (Mu) 231黨 (Dang) 232燕 (Yan) 233郎 (Lang) 234邸 (Di) 235冀 (Ji) 236談 (Tan) 237姬 (Ji) 238屠 (Tu) 239連 (Lian) 240郜 (Gao) 241晏 (Yan) 242欒 (Luan) 243鬱 (Yu) 244商 (Shang) 245蒙 (Meng) 246計 (Ji) 247喻 (Yu) 248揭 (Jie) 249竇(Dou) 250遲 (Chi) 251宇 (Yu) 252敖 (Ao) 253糜 (Mi) 254鄢 (Yan) 255冷 (Leng) 256卓 (Zhuo) 257花 (Hua) 258仇 (Chou) 259艾(Ai) 260藍 (Lan) 261都 (Dou) 262鞏 (Gong) 263稽 (Ji) 264井 (Jing) 265練 (Lian) 266仲 (Zhong) 267樂 (Le) 268虞 (Yu) 269卞 (Bian) 270封 (Feng) 271竺 (Zhu) 272冼 (Xian) 273原 (Yuan) 274官 (Guan) 275衣 (Yi) 276楚 (Chu) 277佟 (Tong) 278栗 (Li) 279匡 (Kuang) 280宗 (Zong) 281應 (Ying) 282台 (Tai) 283巫 (Wu) 284鞠 (Ju) 285僧 (Seng) 286桑 (Sang) 287荊 (Jing) 288諶 (Chen) 289銀 (Yin) 290揚 (Yang) 291明 (Ming) 292沙 (Sha) 293薄 (Bao) 294伏 (Fu) 295岑 (Cen) 296習 (Xi) 297胥 (Xu) 298保 (Bao) 299和 (He) 300藺(Lin)

The many feats of Poh Seng Tai Tay (保生大帝)

There is no shortage of stories about the legendary feats of Poh Seng Tai Tay (Tai Tay Eah) (保生大帝), the resident deity of the Swee Cheok Tong Quah Kongsi. You should pick up a copy of the bilingual booklet, Biography of Bao Sheng Da Di (Deity of Healing), published by the Cheng Leong Keong temple (Tai Tay Eah Ahm) in Jelutong, Penang. Here are three stories from the booklet:

Controlling the flood at Bai Jiao Xiang On one occasion, Bai Jiao Xiang (which was Tai Tay's home village in Tong Aun District, Quan Zhou Prefecture, Hock Kian Province in China) was badly flooded. The water current was alarmingly strong and swift, and houses were on the verge of being swept away. At this crucial moment, Tai Tay was seen appearing on a white crane in the sky, exercising his divine power to control the flood. In a short while, the flood water began to subside. The entire village was eventually saved without suffering much damage. As a token of appreciation, the people built a shrine to house his image and apotheosised him.

Helping Emperor Song Gaozong to escape from captivity (The legend known as Ni Ma Tu Kang Wang (泥馬渡康王)) During the time when Emperor Gaozong (高宗) of Song was still a prince, the Jin (金) (a barbaric tribe north of China) invaded the country. The Song defenders failed to stop the invading enemies from advancing. The Song called for a truce and surrendered the prince to the Jin as a hostage and the prince was subsequently kept in captivity in a Jin prison. One night several years later, the prince found an opportunity to escape under the cover of darkness. He ran as fast as he could to make his way home until he reached the Cuizi Temple (崔子廟). However, he still could not find a horse to ride. There, amidst his anxiety and fear, he suddenly heard a horse neighing nearby. He found the horse and rode off quick. As he reached a river side his captors were catching up fast with him. Feeling very worried and helpless, he prayed very hard for assistance. Almost immediately, there appeared in the sky an army of heavenly soldiers carrying the bearing with Tai Tay's name. The heavenly army quickly came and routed the enemy. The prince was quick to take this opportunity and hurriedly crossed the river and returned safely to the Middle Kingdom. Some time later, the prince ascended to the throne and he discovered that it was Tai Tay who had aided him at that critical moment. To show his gratitude, he issued a royal decree to build a temple named after Tai Tay in Bai Jiao Xiang and to hold regular rituals and praying sessions every year at the temple. This was the oldest temple for Tai Tay in Bai Jiao Xiang, known as Ci Ji Ling Gong (慈濟靈宮). Tai Tay was conferred the title of Da Tao Zhen Ren (大道真人). and was thus also known as Da Tao Gong (大道公).

Assisting Emperor Ming Taizu in battle During the period between the end of the Yuan Dynasty and the beginning of the Ming Dynasty in China, Zhu Yuan Zhang (朱元璋) (who later became Emperor Ming Taizu) was in battle against a warlord named Chen You-liang (陳友諒) at Lake Poyang. During the confrontation, a tempestuous storm suddenly developed and raged through the lake. The battleships of Zu and his army were badly hit by the storm and Zu was faced with an imminent defeat. At that very moment, Tai Tay appeared with layers and layers of banners waving in the sky, which changed the direction of the raging storm and saved Zu from the brink of defeat. Zu was finally able to beat the enemies and win the battle. Later, Zu successfully founded the Ming Dynasty and ascended to the throne in Nanking, declaring himself as Emperor Ming Taizu. In 1371, the Emperor conferred upon Tai Tay the title of Wu Tian Yu Shi Yi Ling Zhen Cun (吳天御史醫靈真君), meaning Great Royal Officer and Master of Healing.

As the third and final extract from this booklet is rather long, I shall reproduce it in a later post.

Poh Seng Tai Tay (保生大帝)

Today being the 15th day of the third lunar month in the Chinese calendar, I am heading down to our Swee Cheok Tong Quah Kongsi in inner George Town, Penang to offer personal prayers of thanksgiving to our clan association's resident deity, Poh Seng Tai Tay (保生大帝), otherwise known as Tai Tay Eah, on the occasion of the deity's birthday and my recovery from an ailment that had landed me in hospital at the beginning of the year.

Poh Seng Tai Tay is known throughout the Chinese diaspora from Hock Kian Province as the Deity of Healing and indeed, the ashes in the joss stick urn of the deity that we worship in our clan association was brought over from our ancestral village in China.


Recently while visiting the Cheng Leong Keong (Tai Tay Eah) temple in Jelutong, Penang, pictured here, I came across a bilingual booklet which traced the legend of the deity. The booklet does not seem to have a large readership and perhaps if I were to reproduce an extract here, I can help to propagate the worship or understanding of Poh Seng Tai Tay.

The title Poh Seng Tai Tay is a shorter version of the full title Wan Shou Wu Ji Bao Sheng Da Di (萬壽無疆保生大帝) bestowed in 1425 to Tai Tay by Emperor Ming Renzong of the Ming Dynasty of China.

Poh Seng Tai Tay (meaning Great Protector of  Life) is a popular diety of healing among the Hokkien community, and he is more affectionately called, in the Hokkien dialect, Tai Tay Eah or Tay Eah Chor. He is traditionally apotheosised by Chinese physicians and druggists. His birthday is celebrated primarily on the 15th day of the third lunar month and to a lesser scale, on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.

Poh Seng Tai Tay has several other royal titles which were bestowed upon him by emperors of various dynasties of China through the ages in appreciation of his divine assistance and service rendered to the royal families and the people. These titles include Wu Zhen Ren (吳真人), Da Dao Gong (大道公), Hua Jiao Gong (花轎公) and En Zhu Gong (恩主公).

Poh Seng Tai Tay was born into a Wu family and was given a name called Tao (吳本), and pseudonyms Hua-chi (Hua Ji) and Yun-chung (Yun Dong). He was born on the 15th day of the third lunar month in the year 979 during the Sung Dynasty in the village of Pai Chiao (Bai Jiao Xiang) of Tung Uahn (Tong Aun) District (同安縣), in the Prefecture of Chuan Chew (泉州府) of Hock Kian Province (福建省) in China. The villagers of Bai Jiao Xiang were reportedly the descendants of Emperor Tai Bo of the Chou Dynasty.

For generations, the ancestors of Tai Tay were conscientious cultivators of high virtues and supererogation. They were ever ready to assist the distressed, help the poor and perform meritorious deeds whenever and wherever possible. Tai Tay's father, Wu Tong, and mother, Huang Shi, were well respected in the village for their thriftiness in home management and generosity in performing dana.

According to legend, the birth of Wu Tao (that is Tai Tay) was not an ordinary one. It was told that when Madam Huang was giving birth to her son, she had a vision of Heavenly messengers, Tai Bai Jin Sing (太白金星), Nan Ling Shi Ze (南陵使者)and Bei Dou Sing Jun (北斗星君), escorting a divine boy (that is, the deity Zi Wei Sing) (紫微星) to come to transmigrate to be her baby. At the very moment of his birth, some extraordinary phenomena occurred. The room where he was being born was filled with a scent of divine nature and brightened with rays of varied colours. Looming over the house were layers of multi-coloured clouds and flooding the house compound was an air of heavenly bliss. This was an extraordinary sight and indeed a good omen.

During his childhood, Wu Tao was extremely intelligent and bright, fond of reading and studying. He was admirably known as a wonder boy. As he grew up and attended school, he read very widely books of various disciplines. He could remember whatever that he had read. He was extremely learned not only in the fields of astrology and geography but also in the disciplines concerning etiquette and ceremonies, music, law and administration. Being particularly interested in medicine, he deeply engrossed himself in medical research, making substantial and significant contributions in medical science.

According to one account, at the age of 17, Wu Tao got to know one wise man from Mount Kun Lun, Xi Wang Mu (西王母), quite by accident, and learned from him the Taoist secret of making medical Dan (i.e. pills) and powder as well as the Taoist way of cultivating towards attaining enlightenment.

He became a government official when he was only 20 years of age. At the age of 24, he passed the second stage of the Imperial Examination (that is, Ju Ren), and was consequently appointed by the Imperial court as a royal official.

The greatest ambition in life that Wu Tao cherished was to be able to serve the community well and help the sick, poor and needy. He was very kind and compassionate, attaching little or no importance to fame, wealth, authority and position. In consequence, during his term of office as a royal official, he was very clean and incorruptible, righteous and straight.

He served as a government official for only a few years. Later he resigned from his post and retired to his home village to lead a secluded life in the eastern region of the Mount of Great Wild Goose in Bai Jiao Xiang. This marked a crucial turning point in his life. He became a very strict vegetarian, cultivating self purification and practising the Dao (i.e. the Great Way to Enlightenment). He studied with full enthusiasm the wonderful Dao of mystics of the highest order. He spent a great deal of his time and energy in furthering his medical skills. He mastered the magical skill known as Shang Wu Fei Bu Fa (三五飛步之法). With compassion he resumed his medical practice, making prescription in accordance with the patient's sickness and conditions. At the same time, he engaged himself in manufacturing special medical pills and powder and in applying the mystic power of talisman for the purpose of treating the people of their diseases and solving their problems and difficulties. Countless number of patients were treated, cured and restored to full health. Wu Tao was thus a man of great compassion, and a physician of profound medical skills. His good reputation began to spread far and wide.

In the year 1036, on the second day of the fifth lunar month, Wu Tao sucessfully perfected the Dao of self purification and attained the state of enlightenment, ascending to heaven on a white crane. He was then only 58 years of age.

The second extract from this booklet will follow later.

Bao Sheng's KL durian party

It was an opportunity that I couldn't decline. Last month while I was visiting Durian Seng's durian farm in Sungai Pinang - on the other side of Penang island - he asked me whether I had the time to follow him and his friends down to Kuala Lumpur.

We are delivering some 600 durian to a private function there, he told me. But I'll just be in the way, I replied. What do I know about your durian except to eat them when opened? I don't have a durian penknife to open the fruit and even if I have one, I wouldn't know how to use it. Don't worry, he assured me. All he wanted was to recruit some friends who could join in the drive. It would be a long day, he warned me, because we would be going down in the morning and possibly be driving back in the middle of the night.

Well, I was all game. As I said earlier, this was an opportunity not to be missed. Six hundred durians. Of the best quality. From Balik Pulau, Penang. All the Hor Lors, Red Prawns, Bak Eus and whatever else. I'd be surrounded by a treasure trove of the finest quality durian.

On the day we were supposed to go down to KL, Durian Seng called. Sorry, he said, his customer has now requested 900 durians and so, he has to use the morning to source for more fruits from his siblings' farms. You see, it's not only his farm alone that's producing those durians. He has several brothers, all durian orchard owners too, but he is the most visible among them.

Eventually, he came to Bukit Mertajam and picked me up at about 12.30pm. By the time we arrived in Kuala Lumpur, it was 5.30pm. Just about one and a half hours left to unload the fruits and wheel the containers into the clubhouse.

So this is what a carload of 250 durian fruits look like, the first thought that came into my mind when I opened the boot of the Avanza. That many, huh? And there were altogether four cars. Inside the clubhouse, it was left to Durian Seng and his wife to separate out the durians. They were the experts. They knew which were which.

This then, was the lull before the storm. All the durian had been stacked nicely at the back and also beneath the tables. Durian Seng was getting ready to open one or two fruits for display. For variety, there were also rambutans, mangosteens and langsats. When the guests started arrive from 7.30pm, Durian Seng and his friends got busy opening the fruits. Me? I stood in the background, my job being to help them clear away the empty durian skins. And I tell you, it was hard work and agony. We worked non-stop right until 10pm.

That was when we finally had time to catch some breath and had something to eat. But before long, people started pushing forward again, this time to take back those unopened durian. They knew that the best among the fruit had been reserved for last, and this was what they were waiting for.

It's funny how people can react to durian with the wildest abandon. When it comes to this fruit, sometimes they lose all their reservations and inner inhibitions and you see their starkest, unadulterated characters. Their behaviour is either at their best or their worst. So if you are a student of behavioural science, you can certainly draw conclusions from seeing how people react to the durian fruits.

Anyway, this was just my observation. At 11.30pm, we started packing up for the long drive back to Penang. We left the clubhouse way past midnight and I reached home at about 5.30am. Funny though, despite the long drives and the hard work, I didn't feel tired at all. I only managed to catch some sleep at nine in the morning. But it took me two days to get over the experience and return to my normal routine. And I still don't know anything about opening a durian with a penknife.