Lesser known buah pulasan — sweet as rambutan, but often overlooked

The sweet pearl-coloured flesh of buah pulasan has a similar taste to rambutan.

By Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, Jan 31: The dark red ripened buah pulasan, or twisted fruit, is a local tropical fruit which looks similar to rambutan, and found only during the fruit season.

Despite being a seasonal fruit, it is not as popular as rambutan, but its shiny pearl flesh is just as sweet and tastes just as good as rambutan.

The popularity of the rough but soft-spike fruit is overshadowed by rambutan’s as the latter is more widely planted and commercialised.

The name ‘pulasan’ comes from the local word ‘pulas’ or twist, as one needs to twist the fruit to break it open to get the flesh inside.

“In Bidayuh, we call the fruit ‘buah paruh’ and to get acquainted with this fruit you must try it.

“Once you know the fruit and the taste, you will like it,” fruit seller Minami Sanen who lives in a village in Padawan, told DayakDaily.

“It is the season now, and it comes out almost the same time as rambutan but is not as popular. Only those who know the fruit consume it.

“The fruit flesh is sweet and easily separated from the seeds,” she revealed.

Buah pulasan is currently in season but is not as popular as rambutan.

Fruit seller Minami Sanen at the farmer’s section of the Kota Sentosa Wet Market, 7th Mile.

Minami, who had been selling fruit at the farmer’s section of the Kota Sentosa Wet Market, 7th Mile, for 30 years, elaborated that she gets the buah pulasan she sells from a fruit supplier, who has a few trees in their orchard.

“I like the fruit, but my fruit supplier said they don’t focus on commercialising the fruit, but I told them I just want to sell because they are in demand. So that is why I have a basket full of the fruit.”

Minami said that young people, especially non-natives, are not familiar with the fruit and are often curious about it.

“I explain to them about the fruit and the taste and with that, they will buy. But for natives, when they see the fruit, they ask if it is still fresh and buy one of two kilograms.”

Minami said she sells a kilogram for RM7, and usually manages to sell her supply by the end of the day.

She also revealed that the fruit is much sweeter than rambutan and hoped the government could see the commercial value of the fruit.

“With all the expertise and knowledge these days, people can do good on this fruit. Sometimes, at certain seasons, the fruit is abundant but ‘tidak laku’ (not in demand),” she said. — DayakDaily