Exploring the wealth of wild fruits available locally
RECENTLY, I was attracted by the many local wild fruits for sale in the market. Some of these varieties have great potential for further exploration in terms of research and development for better commercial production.
Borneo has the advantage of being in a tropical region with plenty of rain, sunshine, and reasonably fertile soil.
We have cleared forest areas for agriculture such as rubber planting and oil palm estates, as well as caused deforestation for timber. As such, many of our wild fruits have probably been wiped out, while others may be on the verge of extinction if no proper steps for conservation are being taken.
We do hope the authorities will make the effort to preserve them not only in botanical gardens, keeping the genetic materials for future breeding programmes, but also protect the areas we have yet to touch.
In Sarawak alone over 70 species of wild fruit trees from 17 families have been recorded. Urban folk may be unfamiliar with some of them, but they are highly prized by rural communities.
During fruit season, particularly the last quarter of the year, you’ll find markets, in Sibu, Kapit and Sri Aman in particular, packed with sellers of these wild fruits, which have distinctive flavours and textures. Mangifera caesia This is also known as binjai or belunu in the Limbang Division where it is more commonly found. The tree is also cultivated by some homeowners. It can grow over 130 metres in height and has long, thick, and leathery leaves. Both the seeds and the flowers are violet in colour.
This tree produces a large fruit that is long and oblong in shape – around 15 centimetres by eight centimetres. The belunu variety has a coarse brown skin whereas the binjai variety has a smoother green skin. The flesh of both varieties is white but the belunu is more sour, while the binjai is sweeter and less fibrous. Mangifera pajang This used to be a familiar wild fruit commonly found in markets after the main fruit season. The fruit is borne on a handsome tree with a tall and straight trunk with a dense canopy of large leathery leaves. It is definitely a distinctive sight when found in villages where it is sometimes cultivated for the fruits and young leaves. I once had a tree growing on village land in Siburan but it was scorched when my workers conducted burning and it died eventually. What a shame.
The large fruit is almost completely round, weighing over 2kg with a thick and dark brown skin. The heavy fruits are like cannon balls and it can be dangerous to stand under the tree during fruit season as they may drop. The large variety is found mainly in the upper Rajang in Kapit Division. These are very good eating quality as the yellow flesh is thick and not too fibrous. The flesh and the tender leaves can be eaten with sambal belacan or tempoyak. Mangifera quadrifida This tree is found in lowland areas and rarely cultivated for the medium-sized fruits are sour. The flesh is light yellow and juicy but fibrous. The ripe fruit is also consumed with sambal belacan or pickles. Dimocarpus longan malesianus This is a favourite wild fruit but has been domesticated in Sarawak. The price of this fruit has shot up in recent years. It can often be found in the upper Rajang basin. The trees were originally found in mixed Dipterocarp forest along small streams in the interior regions. There are four types of mata kucing in Sarawak – isau, sau, kakus and guring. Isau is green in colour even upon ripening and is considered the best in eating quality for its thick flesh. Sau has a smooth skin and is somewhat like the longan.
All these fruits are held on branches at the end of the twigs. The worst pest is the bat, which can devour all the fruits on the whole tree within one night. Lepisanthes alata I’m sure we are familiar with Engkilili, which is located around 30km from Sri Aman, along the Kuching-Sibu road. However, we are probably not that familiar with the fruit which the town derived its name from. It is an oval fruit that is around two centimetres long, borne on a medium-sized tree along the riverbanks of the interior.
Each fruit contains two large seeds surrounded by a thin, sweet fleshy pulp covered by a relatively thick skin that turns red when mature. Castanopsis acuminatissima
This is our local version of chestnuts. The clusters of fruits are borne on a medium-sized tree at the end of the branches. Each fruit is covered with a sharp, thorny skin that hides a number of seeds. These nuts can be consumed raw, boiled, or roasted. They are crunchy and have a nutty taste. The skin will detach upon ripening and break open naturally.
I remember enjoying the nuts during my childhood. It was particularly fun to collect the nuts under the trees.
Hopefully this week’s column has given you an appreciation of some of the natural wonders we have in our forests. Let’s work to protect them for future generations to come.
Do send me an email if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.
Happy gardening.