A new look at Sibu ‘dabai’

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The ‘Sibu olive’ belongs to the family Burseraceae with its botanical name, Canarium odontophyllum. — Bernama photo

IT is with good reason that I come back to this familiar topic among fellow gardening enthusiasts.

Many do not realise that our very own ‘Sarawak olive’ can be taken raw, though this would be an acquired taste for many who used to eating the blanched fruit.

The black ‘dabai’ was once a favourite of the Foochows in the Rajang Basin, but it has since reached far and wide, even more now after it is discovered that the fruit has many healthy nutritional properties. It has also garnered interest from a number of manufacturers from some Asian countries.

Dabai is among the most well-known local seasonal fruits in Sarawak. A festival has been dedicated to highlighting this ‘exotic black gem’ every year since 2018.

The three-day ‘Pesta Dabai’ took place earlier this month in Kapit, one of the places in Central Sarawak where this fruit is most abundant during its season.

Dabai belongs to the botanical family Burseraceae, with its scientific name Canarium odontophyllum. The tree is dioecious – the seedlings can be male, or hermaphrodite.

It is a guessing game when it comes to determining which will bear fruit after five years.

It has been a puzzle for many planters in Sibu: many claim that the males are the vigorous growers, but there are those who leave it to chance.

I had my own ‘painful’ experience several years ago, when I had to cut down three mature trees that had already reached the height of 20 feet (over six metres)!

I remember my father did the same in the 1970s, leaving him with only two fruit-bearing dabai trees.

Only through budding or grafting can one be pretty sure of a successful cultivation.

In my opinion, the whole industry should be grateful to the late Mr Harry Munjan, a former senior assistant Agriculture Department officer who was the first to have been successful in cultivating dabai through budding back in the 2000s. He also introduced the new clones, ‘Laja’ and ‘Lulong’, in his own farm in Sri Aman.

Both clones are notable for excellent eating quality. The flesh is bright yellow in colour, has a smooth and creamy texture, with the buttery flavour having a slight sour tinge.

The skin is thin. The unripe fruits are white and the skin would gradually change to a dark purple, black or red colour, with a circular yellow scar running down from the stalk.

The shape and size vary, from that of a thumb to resembling the big toe – about one-and-half-inch long.

The seed is embedded inside the flesh.

Dabai on sale at Sibu Central Market. — Photo by Philip Wong

Dabai is now fetching good prices as the harvest has been low over the past few years.

The best-quality bulk is certainly not cheap, going for at least RM50 per kilogramme.

Notably, the off-season supply can even reach up to RM95 per kilogramme nowadays. The ‘off-season’ fruits, or ‘strays’, are from mature trees that simply bear fruit out of season.

I have seen new cultivars and clones in production at orchards in many parts of the country.

The big investors are now in to establish big estates in Bintangor and Sarikei, for confectionary purposes. Under commercialisation, dabai can be incorporated in pizzas, desserts, juices, and even mayonnaise. It is already ‘a star ingredient’ in many sauce and fried rice recipes here.

Fresh dabai has a very short shelf life. Packing these fruits in plastic bags could generate heat within, ‘cooking’ them during the journey from Sibu to Kuching.

The best way would be to have them inside a loose pack like paper bags, to pickle them beforehand, or to freeze them prior to taking a long journey.

Dabai can be made into a paste, and can also be dried and milled into powder form – ready for use in many foods and drinks.

A friend of mine, Tie, has a method that would keep the cooked fruit fresh in the refrigerator for a really long time. He would soak the fruits in warm water for about 20 minutes until the flesh softens. Then, they are left under the hot sun for two hours.

This method, according to Tie, would not only retain that distinct flavour of dabai, but would also intensify it.

To enhance the taste, add sugar, salt or soy sauce upon serving.

On ways to enjoy dabai, some would peel the skin and remove the seed before eating –there are even those who would even crack open the seed to and savour the white kernel that according to them, has a nutty almond-like taste.

Nutrition-wise, dabai has antioxidants, healthy oils, vitamins and minerals like calcium and iron. The lipid content is said to contain good anti-ageing properties.

It also has anti-inflammatory agents and eating it can aid in improving digestion.

Happy gardening!

* Comments can reach the writer via [email protected].