KUCHING: Dabai, the local black olive, may not be as famous as durian, but it equals the king of fruits in popularity and high demand among Sarawakians — due to its amazingly flavourful taste.
It has edible skin, which is dark purple to black, while its yellowish flesh has a creamy texture and buttery flavour, similar to avocado.
According to Chuo Nang Ling, the founder of Sarawak Fruit Enterprise in Sibu, the seasonal fruit tastes “so smooth like mashed potatoes with a unique fruity aroma.”
The native fruit is shaped like an olive and turns black when ripe; thus, it is commonly known as the ‘Sarawak olive’. However, it is not botanically related to the olive family.
“It is a very nutritious fruit as it has antioxidants, healthy oils, vitamins and minerals like calcium and iron. It has a huge potential and promotion in the country and even globally.
“Unfortunately, the dabai fruits are only available twice a year; between May and June and December to January. They are very delicate and highly perishable,” he said.
Realising the demand for the exotic fruits even during off-season periods, Chuo ventured into producing frozen dabai as well as dabai paste, dabai crackers and nuts in 2018.
Speaking to New Sarawak Tribune recently, the 39-year-old entrepreneur said that he would buy the fruits in large quantities from the locals during the dabai seasons and freeze them using a method known as blast freezing.
“This (blast freezing) is to retain their freshness, texture and for longer shelf life, making the seasonal fruits available all year round,” he said when met at the Sarawak Design Week 2023 at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here recently.
“Look, the skins are still glossy; there are no wrinkles on them (meaning they are still fresh). There is no preservative or additive added to the frozen fruits.”
“They are big in size and the flesh is yellow and thick,” he said as he took out a packet of 300g of frozen dabai from a freezer, priced at RM25. There is no preservative or additive added to the frozen fruits.
To ensure only the finest dabai were supplied to the markets, Chuo said every batch had to go through a quality check and grading process, adding that he would only source the fruits from the Upper Rajang River areas.
Apart from the size and creamy texture, he said, the way the fruits were plucked or harvested was equally important. It must be done by some skilled or experienced dabai tree climbers, to ensure the fruits, including their skins are not damaged.
Chuo was also quick to explain that the prices were expected to increase soon due to the rising costs of doing business.
In the past, the dabai fruits grew naturally in the wild and could only be found on the Borneo Island, limited to a few areas in Central Sarawak, especially along the Rajang River basin. However, due to their growing demand, the fruits have been cultivated throughout the state.
The native fruits fetched very high prices in recent years; they were sold between RM10 and RM18 per kg in 2014 and the prices were reported to have increased to over RM80 per kg in December last year in Kapit.
How did it start?
When Chuo first founded Sarawak Fruit Enterprise, he was only thinking about producing durian paste and other durian-related products.
However, his father suggested that he should think about a wider range of products and other unique fruits available in the state as Sarawak had so much more to offer.
“Then, the idea of frozen dabai came on like a light bulb in my head.
“I started small and did several batches and froze about 300kg of dabai, targeting those who wanted to get their dabai craving fixed even during off-season periods. There were orders from Sarawak, Sabah and some in Peninsula,” he said.
As for the dabai paste as well as durian paste, they are mostly supplied to the food and beverage firms, especially fine dining restaurants, including a few well-known ones in Kuala Lumpur.
As chefs have to try out innovative offerings and incorporate unique ingredients into their menus, the dabai paste and durian paste from Sarawak are some great options.
Chuo explained that his durian paste was made from local durian or commonly known as ‘kampung durian’ but it was equally good as Musang King.
“I have been working in West Malaysia for years before this, and I noticed that actually, our local durians were as good as or even better than the durian varieties in West Malaysia such as Musang King. Yet, the prices (local durians) are so much lower and affordable.
“Thus, my first product was durian paste as I was very confident of the quality of local durians,” he said, adding that the dabai and durian pastes could be used to prepare dishes, sauces and even desserts.
To fully exploit the potential of dabai, Sarawak Fruit Enterprise is also producing dabai nuts which are found inside the seeds of the native fruits — they are said to taste as good as pistachio.
Before this, dabai fruits were only known for their creamy yellowish flesh and the seeds that contained the edible nuts were usually discarded.
In 2019, Chuo also developed dabai and durian crackers with support from the Sarawak Agriculture Department, where he was taught basic knowledge on how to produce crackers using local fruits.
Then, he decided to make some changes to the ingredients, by taking out anchovies and making the crackers suitable for vegetarians.
“I also improve the packaging and labelling so that my products are more marketable,” he said.
Although Chuo believed the local exotic fruits in Sarawak had the potential to be exported overseas, he opined that much needed to be done, especially how to ensure a stable supply of quality fresh fruits as well as the global market response.
As for now, Chuo will continue to focus on the local markets and innovate more unique products, given the challenge of the consumers’ evolving preferences.
“No doubt, the local fruits have the potential for global markets. But I will continue to focus on developing more products and hopefully, there will be investors who want to join me to expand the business,” he added.
He also wished that the government would offer some grants or financial aid for branding and marketing his business — to help local entrepreneurs, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“My products are good and unique but we also need some funds for marketing or promotion purposes,” he added. Those who are interested can contact Chuo at 013-880 6420, sarawakfruit@gmail.com; or visit their website https://sarawak-fruit-enterprise.business.site/
