Found only in Borneo, this fruit which is also known as marang, has a strong scent, is delicious, sweet and soft flavoured. From the outside, it looks like a durian except that its spikes are not hard but are more like soft bristles.
When opened up, it resembles a nangka (jackfruit) or a cempedak fruit. But according to Sabahans, the tarap fruit taste much better and more superior compared to both jackfruit and cempedak!
This is how it looks like!
Photo from strawberry gal's blog
Before I went to KK, my friend from Sandakan who currently stays in KL kept reminding me to try the tarap fruit. She said that since coming to KL, she had been missing that fruit very much!
Which makes me wonder, why is it not found in Peninsular Malaysia? What makes Sabah and in fact the whole of Borneo so special that the tarap trees only grow there?
Anyway, during my holidays in KK, I had tried to search for this fruit. The problem with this fruit is that it is a seasonal fruit. Like the durians. It is not available all year round. And what is worse is that different parts of Sabah have different seasons for this fruit!
My search for the tarap fruit brought me to many places - to the fruit markets, the night markets and even to the Sabah Tourism Board!
Yes, I even went to the extent of visiting the Sabah Tourisn Board to enquire where I could get the tarap fruit! Now you know how desperate I was! Haha!
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The Sabah Tourism Board is located on Jalan Gaya, one of the most busy and famous streets in KK Town. When I went in, I saw rows and rows of brochures and leaflets on Sabah tourist attractions. I took a whole bundle of those brochures! Well, they are free! Haha!
I then went to the counter and enquired about the tarap fruit. The friendly lady at the counter said that unfortunately, the tarap fruits were not in season in KK at the moment. That's funny because other people I asked told me they were in season. But if they were, how come I could not find them at fruit markets in KK?
According to the lady, the tarap fruit would most likely be found during the month of September. But ...and here's the good news... I could try the Central Market. She could not give any guarantees but said I could try to find it there. She even pointed out to me the exact location where the fruit is sold in the Central Market, which is at the west side corner of the Central Market building.
Thanking her, I went to Central Market which was located opposite KK Plaza on Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens.
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Walking through the rows and rows of fruit stalls, I was hoping to finally find that elusive tarap fruit! If the seller would somehow attempt to sell the tarap fruit to me at double the price, I think I would buy it without a word!
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Oops! This photo below looked blurred. I think I was too excited about the prospect of finding the tarap fruit that my hand shook when taking the photo!
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I asked a few sellers there where I could get the tarap fruit and they said it was not in season. But one lady told me she actually saw a few tarap fruits being sold in one of the stalls a few days ago. I was excited and begged her to bring me to that stall. She was kind enough to bring me there but the stall owner said he had already sold off all the fruits!
That was such a big disappointment! No one could tell me where else to get the fruit.
However, I think there is one place where I am quite sure I could get the tarap fruit. But unfortunately, I did not go there! According to the people at Lavender Lodge where I stayed, the tarap fruit could be found at the Nabalu fruit market along the way to Kinabalu Park.
The chartered van which took me to Kinabalu Park did not stop at the Nabalu fruit market. I am quite sure if I had followed tours to Kinabalu Park, they would have stopped us at the market before proceeding to Kinabalu Park. Oh well....no use crying over it now.
Perhaps, next year, if I were to go climb Mount Kinabalu, I will get another chance of finding that elusive tarap fruit.
Coming up next - A Walk Along Gaya Street
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