Mawang, and other exotic fruits from Borneo

THERE used to be many local fruits that were commonly seen and eaten, which are no longer available nowadays.

Even the genetic materials of these once-available fruits are gone.

The main reasons, I believe, for the disappearance are the mass clearing of land and also the felling of huge numbers of trees in the forests, to make way for agriculture and timber production.

The recent ‘Dunia Pertanian’ (Agroworld) No 400 issue reviewed some of them that are still around, so for this article, I intend to highlight some for general reading.

So, what are these fruits?

The ‘dabai’, our very own Sarawak olive, is seasonal and can only be found in Borneo, and nowhere else. It is expensive, but not really rare. Every year, there is surely a supply.

Then there is the ‘kepayang’ (Pangium edule), a fruit infamous for its hydrogen cyanide content, requiring it to undergo repeated thorough rinsing before one can savour its earthy, almost-nutty flesh. It is a jungle fruit that must be really processed before consumption, but one can still buy them at the ‘tamu’ (farmers and jungle produce market), where there are also ‘petai’ (stinky beans) and ‘jering’ (Archidendron jiringa), and at times, jungle durians.

However, I regard the next three fruits as not always readily-available at the ‘tamu’ even during the local fruit seasons.

Bambangan

This wild mango, scientifically named Mangifera pajang, also grows in Sabah and West Kalimantan.

It is also called ‘mawang’ or ‘asam embang’.

I once had a large tree, about 70 feet (over 20m) tall, in the land that I bought in 1985, and it had borne large tasty fruits for a few years before it died, probably due to a thunder strike as it was on top of the hill.

To plant a new tree, it will take 10 to 15 years for it to bear fruit, making it less attractive for farmers. What I know about ‘bambangan’ is from the existing trees planted by the elders in the village where I bought the land, and these old trees still continue to bear fruits now and then, following the seasonal crops.

My friend has a relative in Tapah, in the Serian Division, who has this tree, from which the fruits are sweeter, have smaller seeds and less fibrous than the wild variety.

I have to say that it is difficult to judge the fruit’s quality from the external look.

Nevertheless, ‘bambangan’ has a long shelf-life and can be transported to distant places without incurring much damage along the way.

The flesh has high-quality antioxidant properties, which are good for the eyes and skin, as shown in a research carried out by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Studies conducted by Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), on the other hand, indicate that ‘bambangan’ contains an effective agent that fights cancer cells.

Tarap

The Artocarpus odoratissimus, a species of flowering plant in the Moraceae family, is also known as ‘terap, ‘marang’, ‘madang’, timadang’ and ‘kiran’.

It is native to Southeast Asia.

The flesh can be white or yellow, in the form of bunches inside a thick, but easy-to-open, rind covered in soft short pines. Related to jackfruit and ‘sukun’ (breadfruit), the ‘tarap’ tree can grow up to 30 feet (more than 9m) and usually, it bears fruit from September to November.

The fruit is about the size of a sepak takraw ball, or a small durian. The flesh is honey-like sweet, and I would describe its fragrance as ‘distinctive and unforgettable’.

Upon reaching ripeness, the rind turns from green to a more yellow, and can also be easily cracked open.

The seeds are edible too, as they can be boiled or roasted.

Isau

Dimocarpus longan ssp also has many other names: ‘mata kuching’ (cat’s eyes), Sarawak green longan, ‘guving’, ‘kakus’, ‘sau’, ‘buah arut’, and also ‘buah binkoi’.

‘Isau’ is different from the yellowish-skin longan from Thailand or Peninsular Malaysia.

The flesh is sweet, both in taste and smell.

I have planted both the green and yellow ‘isau’, with the former fetching a much higher price than the latter.

A good quality fruit, apart from the sweetness, has a thick flesh covering a dark brown seed.

However, the tree is very vulnerable to pests. The most effective protection is using net-covering over the whole tree, less tedious than individual bagging of every branch that has fruits on it.

In recent weeks, the price has been very good, at RM18 to RM20 per kilogramme.

As a gardener, you may want to plant the longan – of any variety – for self-consumption, as it takes around five years for fruiting.

Happy Gardening!