‘Moderation is key; limit it to once or twice a day during the season. Choose a good quality durian, having a small serving of a high-quality durian is better.’– Public health specialist Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar
He stands at the back of his car beside a small pile of durians lying on the side of a road.
I have seen him for at least three or four days on my way to the office in Matang.
“I think the durians belong to him,” I said to myself. “Wow, what a hardworking man! Instead of letting the fruits rot on his farm, he has decided to sell them to make some money.”
Although I like durians, the King of Fruits, I do not stop. I think he is selling his durians at an awkward place; the busy roadside is not the best place to sell durians or any other fruits. The enforcement officers from the Kuching North City Commission may come after him anytime.
Yes, it is illegal and unsafe to sell durians by the roadside in Kuching. Vendors must have a licence and operate in designated areas.
A safe alternative for the man is to sell his durians from door to door or to customers in the coffeeshops. Many people are selling their vegetables like ferns, ‘kangkong’ (water spinach) and even ‘petai’ (stink bean or bitter beans) and fruits like rambutans to customers in the coffeeshops.
What a successful door-to-door vegetable or fruit seller needs is a blend of interpersonal, physical and business skills.
He or she must be trustworthy and honest, consistently providing the quality and quantity of produce promised and being transparent about pricing.
He or she must clearly and enthusiastically communicate the freshness and benefits of his/her produce. Good listening skills are also important to understand customer needs and preferences.
When approaching potential customers at their homes or at the coffeeshops, the vegetable or fruit seller must be polite and respect them. A friendly, non-intrusive manner is key to a positive interaction.
Since not every door or coffeeshop will result in a sale, a successful seller must handle rejection gracefully and maintain a positive attitude to continue engaging with potential customers.
Once, I saw piles of rambutans and ‘petai’ on a table in a coffeeshop in Tabuan Laru. When I came out of the shop after a hearty lunch, the piles of rambutans and ‘petai’ were still there. When I touched a pile of ‘petai’, a man, obviously the fruit and vegetable seller, suddenly appeared beside me.
“How much does this bunch of ‘petai’ cost?” I asked the shy and tall man politely. “RM10”, he said.
As I handed him the cash and received a bunch of ‘petai’ in return, I told him, “You should sell loudly your fruits.”
“It is okay. I am selling the fruits and vegetables on behalf of a friend,” replied the soft-spoken man.
Recently, I also helped a shy friend sell some crystal fruits in the office. She had brought some of the fruits from her husband’s farm in Kota Samarahan to the office for us to try but was, at first, too shy to let us know she was selling them too.
When I discovered her ‘secret’, I told some friends about it and two of them immediately bought a kilogram of the fruits each. One kilogram cost RM8.
When I learnt that the shy girl had two kilograms of the fruits left in her car, I suggested she sell them to friends in another office upstairs. I accompanied her upstairs and after we went round the entire office and I spoke to almost everyone there, my friend managed to sell all her crystal fruits.
Some friends in the office upstairs jokingly pointed out that I should be a salesperson instead of a journalist.
That very night, I ordered three kilograms of crystal fruits from the shy friend in the office. My niece, Ah Hong, was coming back from Singapore the next day for a short break. She loves crystal fruits and there are no crystal fruits in Singapore.
Yes, my friends, it is the crystal fruit season in Kuching. Crystal fruit (scientific name: ‘Pometia pinnata’) refers to the Matoa fruit, also known as Brazilian longan or crystal longan; it is a popular local delicacy with a tough, hard shell and a sweet, translucent fresh similar to lychee or rambutan. It is eaten fresh or used in recipes.
To open the crystal fruit, you crack the hard shell by squeezing it between your palms or by gently hitting it on a hard surface.
I have seen crystal fruits on sale at the jungle market in Kota Sentosa. Many Bidayuh and Iban friends also tell me that their friends and relatives in Bau have presented them with crystal fruits from their gardens.
When I was young, I did not see any crystal fruits in Sibu, my hometown. Hence, I am surprised to learn that the fruits are native to Sarawak and are a popular seasonal delicacy, often sold in areas like Lundu and Kota Samarahan.
I guess we see the seasonal delicacy everywhere now because more people are planting them and selling them.
Now, let’s go back to the roadside durian seller in Matang. I wonder what does he do with the fruits he cannot sell.
If he is native, maybe he will ferment the pulp in a container for several days to create ‘tempoyak’. He can sell the ‘tempoyak’.
‘Tempoyak’ is mainly cooked with fish as the paste seasoning in soup. It can also be eaten together with rice as a condiment.
The durian flesh can also be cooked with sugar or brown sugar to make a sweet paste called ‘lempuk’ which can be used as a flavouring or spread.
In the jungle market, a small container of ‘tempoyak’ costs around RM10 and it is only available during the durian season. But not all Sarawakians or Malaysians appreciate ‘tempoyak’.
Although the crystal fruits are in season, I think the durians are not in season yet.
What is the best way to find out if the durians are in season?
“Take a trip to the farmers’ market in your area. There, you will find tables laden with durians,” suggests a website.
I did so and discovered the tables at the nearest farmers’ market in my area were not laden with the King of Fruits. I guess that means the durian season is not here yet.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
