SERIAN (Sarawak), March 24 — The sight of durians stacked up on the floor and many more hanging at the bus stops greet those travelling along the main road from Serian to Kuching each time the fruit comes into season from December to mid-January the following year.

The locals literally ‘seize’ these bus stops to sell their durian, rambutan, langsat and other fruits from their backyards. For those with no bus stops available, they will heap the durians on the ground under an umbrella, sell directly from the boot of their vehicles, and even from the basket on their motorcycles.

These seasonal fruit vendors and their antics dominate the view especially in the first 32km from Serian to Siburan. Sarawak is known for its kampung durians, including many of the varieties not found in Peninsula.  

“Have you tried the durian merah (red durians)?” This is what this writer’s friends in Peninsula will ask each time the durian season in Serian kicks in. However, though this writer goes back to visit the in laws there regularly but has yet to come across the durian merah.

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The durian merah is actually a rare variety in Sarawak, though many In Peninsula think otherwise. In fact, the writer’s relatives who have lived in Sarawak all their lives have never seen the durian.

While in Peninsula sellers will come with lorry loads of the fruits, these roadside durian sellers are small timers with their fruits in limited supply. Some sell not more than 10 fruits a day and even the most number of fruits they could come up with is less than 100.

“We are small scale vendors, the fruits come from our backyard, we don’t have orchards,” said Hanafi bin Bong Tidchin, 25, who was selling durians at a bus stop close to Serian town centre.

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Hanafi sells a stack of nine big durians for RM65. The price is a far cry from the prices in Kuala Lumpur where it is impossible to get fruits of that size for that price. Even just two pieces of D24 may cost more than RM100.

Anyway, don’t bother to ask the durian grade ánd the variety here because the buyer is certain to get the standard reply: “This is kampung durian, there no name for it. Based on its size and appearance it may appear like a crossed fruit, but certainly not. Surprisingly, it is tastier with its thick and creamier flesh.

“So the people of Peninsula have to come all the way to Serian if they want to get a taste of the delicious durians here,” said Hanafi in jest.

The Serian District in Sarawak is well known for its delicious durians. In fact, at the end of 2017 Bukit Semuja assemblyman John Ilus announced a durian collection and processing centre will be set up in the district making Serian the durian hub.

Fresh durian tempoyak

Hanafi cracked opened a fruit and handed it over to me saying: “Give it a try. This durian is from my tree. Never mind even if you don’t want to buy it. We can talk while eating.”

As the conversation went on, a couple known to Hanafi appeared and started cracking open a number of durian, two or three of the stacks. They took out the flesh and placed it inside a plastic container.

Hanafi pointed out that the couple bought the durian to make tempoyak, a condiment made of fermented durian flesh.

This writer was taken by surprise over what Hanafi said as back in Peninsula fresh durians are only meant for consumption while the old ones or unsold ones are used to make tempoyak. 

The friendly woman told this writer that fresh kampung durians make tempoyak that not only taste better but also last longer.

The woman went on saying that durians from the crossed varieties are not suitable for making tempoyak due to high moisture content and this is why the tempoyak turns bad fast or becomes smelly.

“We buy durians in bulk daily to make tempoyak. Can be stored and eaten until next year. Can last two to three years, doesn’t get spoilt,” she said adding that the tempoyak supply is only meant for the family and it is not for sale.

Assisting parents

Hanafi, a self-employed living with wife and children in Kampung Tabuan Melayu in Kuching, returns to his parents place in Kampung Ampungan to source the durians. He helps his parents to sell the durians.

“Daily, I start selling at 11am and the fruits are sold out by 5pm,” he said adding that six stacks of the durians will be sold daily with the sale being brisk during the mornings where as there is more movement of the people then.

As the conversation went on for half an hour, this writer observed that there is no dearth of customers for Hanafi and the stacks of durian diminished one after the other. A friend was seen taking out durians from the car boot to replenish the supply. 

Fruits from the mountain

Meanwhile, another seasonal durian seller along the Serian-Kuching main road Eden Lisper, 28, told this writer that his durians come from his family orchard located at a nearby mountain.  

He sells his durians at RM35 for a set of four durians while the rambutan is sold at RM3.00 a bundle.

“Prices are still negotiable. Serian’s durian are not only cheap, much tastier than the ones sold in Kuala Lumpur,” said the youth who had lived and worked in Pahang for four years.

Only the fruits that drop from the tree are sold, and the unsold fruits will be made into tempoyak.

“These fruits dropped early in the morning, I sell it today, if its unsold my mum will turn it into tempoyak. The fruits that have cracked are also not sold to customers. Tomorrow there will be a new batch of fruits,” said the contractor.

Asked on the fruits that have cracked open on their own, he replied with a smile, “The spoilt fruits are not for human consumption.”

After listening to these guys who take pride about the durians that they offer to their customers, this writer could only say it is worth going to Sarawak for durians. — Bernama