SINGAPORE – ‘Tis the season for durians and you would have felt their conspicuous, declarative presence in our neighbourhoods by now. But in recent days, the thorny treasures from Malaysia are found in abundance not just at the usual places.
At a Toa Payoh pasar malam and two malls, you can find the prickly fruit in Play United’s bright pink claw machines jousting for the attention of anyone who want the thrill of clawing something other than plushies. The firm’s spokesman Alice Goh told The Straits Times that her durian-loving team is able to introduce this concept thanks to more affordable durian prices.
Outside The One Salon at Bedok Central, piles of durians line the corridor under a banner that screams: Buy fruit get free haircut. The hair salon’s boss Steven Qin told ST that he is giving away haircut vouchers to durian buyers who spend at least $20 at his makeshift stall. He hopes the promo will attract new customers to both his stall and salon.
Eat-all-you-can durian buffets are also catching on. Giant Hypermarket held its first durian buffet at its Tampines outlet’s carpark last week and attracted a strong showing. Its spokesman told ST it plans to offer the one-hour buffet again. Other durian stores like Zeng Zu Fu and Lexus Durian King are also offering free-flow durian feast this season.
Falling prices
The pungent delicacy wouldn’t have been here, there and everywhere if not for the bountiful supply from Malaysia’s farms this season.
The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Fruit Farmers’ Association (KLSFFA) told ST Malaysia now exports more than 100,000kg of fresh durians to Singapore a day.
The huge supply has sent prices down by 10 to 20 per cent compared to the last season, according to six stall owners who spoke to ST.
In the not-so-distant past, residents here used to pay hundreds of dollars a durian. Just last June, the AAA grade musang king cost some $40 a kg while the no-frills version cost around $25 a kg.
By last December, the prices had fallen by more than 30 per cent with the supply glut.
Now, the B and C grade musang king variety retails at $10 or less a kg at some heartland stalls. One stall is even offering a flew-flow musang king buffet at $38.80 an hour.
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