Rare madu manyik: Treasure hunting at Batu Niah market will not disappoint

Bottles of rare madu manyik sold at Batu Niah market.

By Yvonne T

NIAH, Feb 23: At the bustling Batu Niah market, a jar of golden liquid glistens in the morning sun. This is no ordinary honey; it is madu manyik, a now extremely rare honey harvested from wild bees.

YuLiana, the vendor selling the honey, explained that the nectar is usually collected from hives perched high in the tall branches of the towering Tapang trees, often at night.

“It’s not easy to find,” she told the D’Drift team. “This batch came about by chance when I returned to my kampung near the Indonesian border. The villagers had discovered a honey hive in the forest, still untouched and wild.”

YuLiana with the wild honey at Batu Niah Market.

The kampung, surrounded by dense forest where trees grow freely and bees roam unhindered, is one of the few places left where wild honey can still be harvested naturally.

“It’s hard to find the original madu manyik now,” YuLiana added. “There are many benefits, it helps the skin and is especially good for children’s immune system.”

Fetching RM100 for a 500ml bottle, the price reflects both its rarity and the effort required to harvest it. For this round, YuLiana said about five kilograms were extracted, and only a few bottles made it to the market.

Aunty Lucy recalling younger days when madu manyik was aplenty at Niah.

Memories of wild honey abound for the older generation.

“When I was a child, 40 to 50 years ago, there were hives everywhere near my house in Niah,” recalled 69-year-old Aunty Lucy. “Now, with development progressing, you can’t find them anymore.”

The honey itself tells a story of the wild. It flows smoothly, smells sweeter and more natural than processed honey, and carries the subtle richness of an unfarmed hive.
Each drop retains the untouched sweetness of the forest, a taste that can no longer be found in mass-produced jars.

The towering Tapang tree. Photo credit: Piasau Nature Reserve

According to Sarawak Forestry Cooperation’s Piasau Nature Reserve website, the Tapang tree, endemic to Northern Sarawak, is among the tallest emergent rainforest tree which could exceed the height of 80 metres. Giant honey bees, Apisdorsata, would build huge comb on its branches.

For those lucky enough to spot it at the Batu Niah market, honey from the wild bees or madu manyik is more than honey; it is a rare sip of the jungle itself. – DayakDaily