Who found Musang King? The accounts do not agree
Malaysia's most famous durian has several origin stories, and none of the sources we read settles which one is right.
The fruit now sold worldwide as Musang King, registered as D197, seems to have started life under another name. Wikipedia and The Star both say it was first called Raja Kunyit, or Turmeric King, after its deep yellow flesh. Both also say the later name points to Gua Musang in Kelantan. Musang is the Malay word for the civet, and the Chinese name Mao Shan Wang may either imitate that sound or refer to the animal; Wikipedia offers both explanations without choosing.
The discovery story is less tidy. The version given by both Wikipedia and The Star says Tan Lai Fook of Raub, Pahang, came across a tree in Gua Musang in the 1980s and carried a branch home for grafting. The Star hedges this with the word 'reportedly'. Wikipedia adds an earlier chapter, citing Harian Metro: an unnamed farmer planted the first tree in 1970 at Pulau Raya, Tanah Merah, Kelantan, and it later moved to Gua Musang.
SAYS lists other tellings. In one, a farmer named Wee grafted an unusual tree and took it home to Tanah Merah. In another, which SAYS credits to the Los Angeles Times, Penang's Tan Eow Chong tasted the fruit at a roadside stall, was refused a branch by the seller, and came back with a villager who shot one down for a fee. SAYS does not pick a winner, and its own 1990s development date does not match the 1980s account.
So Kelantan features in the name, while Raub, which the BBC describes as lined with signs welcoming visitors to the home of Musang King, holds the fame. Treat any single neat origin story with care.
Sources
- Raja Kunyit name, D197, 1970 planting citing Harian Metro, Tan Lai Fook account, Mao Shan Wang explanations
- Turmeric King name; Tan Lai Fook account described as reported
- Three competing origin accounts and their attributions; civet meaning
- Raub road signs and its association with Musang King