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by Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, July 29: The popular and rich tasting crystal longans or locally known as ‘buah kristal’, is now in season and can be found in many fruit and vegetable markets in the city.
For those who getting acquainted with this fruit for the first time, the fleshy yellowish fruit aril is a combination of longan, a little durian, and rambutan in taste and a larger version of the ‘mata kucing’ or cat’s eye fruit.
The fruit doesn’t remain in season long, and those who wish to sample it will only have a short time window to do so.
Once you taste a piece, you might want more as it is sweet and addictive, and according to a local vendor at Kota Sentosa Farmer’s Market, there are usually three types (skin tone) of crystal fruit species – yellowish green, dark red and blackish.
“The yellowish green and dark red have more juice and the fleshy aril is slightly bigger, as compared to the blackish species of the crystal fruit, but they all taste the same,” he told DayakDaily.
“The crystal fruit we sell are all from an orchard in Padawan, and we sell the greenish and reddish ones at RM12 per kilogramme while the blackish type is sold for RM10 per kilogramme.”
The vendor added that the fruit has been getting popular in the last few years, and demand for it has increased as more people develop a taste for its succinct flavour.
“Local people like the taste of the fruit and this is good as it has become a good source of income for fruit farmers and sellers,” he said.
He added that the ripened crystal fruit could remain fresh for a week after it is plucked from the tree but could also last longer if it is still attached to the stalk.
“Crystal fruits that are still attached to the stalk could last maybe up to two weeks. The fruit will become spoiled if the fruit skin is cracked open,” he explained. — DayakDaily
