Durians galore at bus stops

SERIAN: The sight of durians stacked up by the side of the road and many more hanging from the bus stops greet those travelling along the main road from Serian to Kuching each time the fruit is in season from December to mid January.

The locals literally ‘seize’ these bus stops to sell durians, rambutan, langsat and other fruits from their backyards.

Those with no bus stops usually heap the durians on the ground under an umbrella, sell directly from the boot of their vehicles, or even from the baskets on their motorcycles.

These seasonal fruit vendors and their antics dominate the view especially in the first 32 kilometres from Serian to Siburan.

Sarawak is known for its ‘kampung’ durians, including many varieties not found in Peninsula.

“Have you tried the red durian (red durians)?” This is what this writer’s friends in Peninsula will ask each time the durian season in Serian kicks in.

This writer goes back to visit the in-laws regularly but has yet to come across the red durian.

The red durian 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 this durian.

Compared to sellers in the Peninsula with lorry loads of the fruits, these roadside durian sellers are small timers with limited supply of fruits.

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.

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.

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 local durian, there’s no name for it. Based on its size and appearance it may appear like a crossed fruit, but is certainly not. Surprisingly, it is tasty with its thick and creamy 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.

Hanafi cracked opened a fruit and handed it over to me saying: “Give it a try. This durian is from my tree. Never mind 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 durians, two or three from 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 or unsold ones are used to make fermented durian.

The friendly woman said that fresh local durians make fermented durian that not only taste better but also last longer.

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

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

Hanafi, a self employed living with his 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 sell the durians.

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

As the conversation went on for half an hour, it was observed that there was 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 .

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

He sold his durians at RM35 for four durians while the rambutans were sold at RM3.00 a bundle.

“Prices are still negotiable. Serian’s durian are not only cheap but 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 trees were sold, and the unsold fruits would be made into fermented durian.

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

Asked about 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 such pride about the durians that they offer to their customers, it can be concluded that it is worth going to Sarawak for durians. — Sarimah Othman /Bernama