Monday, May 14, 2007

Buah Keranji

Buah Keranji
Buah Keranji used to be one of my favourites. I used to savour the "fruit"for years when I was in Sarikei (since my childhood time). Buah Keranji is widely available in my hometown. I came across them once again (after so many years) when I visited the tamu market in Bintulu during my trip to Sarawak. (The same place where I saw the fat, juicy, squirmy & cute sago worms. How can I miss out the chance buying and tasting the nostalgic fruits once again?

Small in size (about the size of a thumb), which turned black when ripe.

The fruit is covered with thin, brittle skin. Thin layer of flesh with sweet, caramel-like flavour covering the large seed. Is this a local Sarawak/Borneo product? I dunno.. But I remembered a Malay pantun (up to date, I still haven't come across Buah Keranji outside Sarawak) :-
Sorong Papan Tarik Papan,
Buah Keranji Dalam Perahu,
Suruh Makan Dia Makan,
Suruh Mengaji Dia Tidak Mahu.

42 comments:

day-dreamer said...

CHUP?

I can't imagine how this buah tastes...

Wyn said...

yihh?

so cute...hehe...

ya lor ya lor...how d buah taste like ar?

jie, can i have some? =)

mistipurple said...

kakakaa now donkey knows!!! heehawwww thank you!! now can throw a little nearer to donkey's feet? :P

_butt said...

ooohh.. so this is the legendary buah keranji!! interesting!! :D

can be used to play batu seremban? kekeke

may said...

don't think I've ever had that before. nice ka? send me a basket!

rinnah said...

Such a unique fruit! I wonder how it tastes like. Cannot be found in Peninsular Malaysia ah?

Pink Cotton said...

heeheehee
just had this weird fruit few weeks ago

i just like to crack it open but not eating them...muahahaha

Chen said...

day dreamer,
CHOP :P

This buah is sweet with caramel-like flavour, but with a tinge of sourness. Very nice. How it exactly taste like? As u know, it's hard to describe how certain food taste like unlike u eat it yourself ;) Kkkkkkk....

woof meow,
Lazy to re-type everything again or to "copy & paste"..
Kkkkkk..
Please refer to the answer given to day dreamer above :P

Actually I brought some back home to Penang and waited for u to come over to collect your pressie. But since tunggu till langit jatuh & till cows also come home liao, but u still never turned up.. No more leftover liao :P

U still want your birthday pressie or not? If not, I give to Ah Boy liao :P

Chen said...

misti,
Finally donkey knows what am I crapping about earlier on :P But this donkey very "keng" one, swallow the whole fruit.. Hope the donkey won't ter-cekik :P

Apa pasal this donkey so lazy to move geh? Want me to throw to the feet then only makan. This is the super-duper lazy hee haw donkey (-kong?) liao..

Hhahahhaha...
Two more keranji :D

butt,
"legendary" pulak..
Sounds like Mahsuri or Puteri Santubong story liao..
Hehehhehe.....

Can.. u r brilliant.
Can substitute the batu with buah keranji. Then u won't feel the pain liao.

Abuthen, cannot grab the fruit too hard, else will break into pieces... Berkecai habis.. Cos the skin is brittle mah ;)

Chen said...

may,
Mmmmmm... sounds like this is a local (Sarawak) product liao.. since so many "West Malaysians" never see it before :P

I have to go to Sarawak first, then only I can send u a basket ;)
Kkkkkk.. But the shell or skin is brittle, I sked it might break into pieces before reaching liao.. LOLOL

rinnah,
Hard to describe the taste, but it's nice (to me lah.. different people different taste buds) :P
I dunno whether it is available in Peninsular or not.. but sounds like.. not since no one have seen it over here yet. Might be u can try to look out for it in the market next time ;)

pink cotton,
WASTING FOOD !!
How can u simply crack open & not makan woh? So many people here never tasted it and wanted to taste it leh..
Kkkkkkk..
Later they throw stone at u for wasting the buah keranji then u know..
LOL

*cabut*

Will said...

caramel? hmmmm

Pinky_piglet said...

i taste it when i was kid, the taste so sweet and a bit sour if had been process... if cook with water, the meat is soft, but the taste is difference, aneh, but still can eat la...
still remember got a man calling the ppl buy the keranji at the town, his voice so loud,"KERANJI KERANJI", when i hear that voice, sure i know is that man sell it...hehehe

Simple American said...

Caramel taste? Sounds yummy. Hope I can try some one day. :)

Chen said...

will,
u wanna have a bite ah? :P

pinky piglet,
Yeah, some of the fruits has tinge of sourness. U cooked the fruit with water? Never tried that, in fact i dunno we can actually cook the fruit :)

SA,
Indeed yummy. Don't forget to visit Sarawak if u happened to come to South East Asia ;)

ah nel said...

i eat b4 n its reli sweet...taste like liulian...

solong papan talik papan,
buang kelanji atas perahu,
suruh makan lokter chen makan,
itu biji pun dia mahu.

:P

Wyn said...

*shocked* i wan i wan...

dun gip to ahboy yet...

hehe...

Anonymous said...

Dialium laurinum

never test before, how much were they selling? does it taste some what tart or astringent too? thks!

L B said...

*adds to the Doctor's Secret Dossier of "Weird Stuff She Comes Up With"...*

They look sexy! They look so sleek! And so wild! I can almost faint.. but I restrained myself. Are they better than papaya seeds?

Unknown said...

Hmm... can play like guli or not? :P

rainbow angeles said...

I came to moo you, can? :P

I also nvr tried b4.. ei, when u wanna cum KL again wor? Cum la after u balik kampung, then can distribute one basket of this buah to suaku KL ppl... :P

Mooooo!
*follow my moomoo momma*

mistipurple said...

lol at angel! *patpat baby moo*

Winn said...

why u always get to try all these weird weird fruiits one.........

Ehon said...

Wah! I never knew that it's only in Sarawak ler! And I never knew it's called Buah Keranji also. Ai cham. Makes me sound so dumb. :P

I love zit too! They used to sell it in 'kong' at Sunday Market, so if you want, you go, "satu kong" and they give you one 'kong' of it. Hahaha!

Selba said...

I used to play with this fruit when I was little!

We cracked the fruit by pressing the fruits skin one by one to each other. The one who got the fruit crack first is the looser, hahaha..

eastcoastlife said...

I have never seen or heard of this fruit. Looks like I have not seen enough of this beautiful earth. :)

It's available only in Sarawak? Ok. *jot down in notebook*

sengkor said...

how come all the fruits featured here i never see b4 one..? i ulu or u ulu..?

ac said...

o_O

is this the same keranji that gave singapore the district name of kranji?

Chen said...

ah nel,
But the flesh very very thin woh…
Less than 2 mm.. I think only 1 mm niah :)

Pandainya hang berpantun ;)

woof meow,
*shocked*
U still want meh?
After so long liao no news… :P
Ah Boy says he wants woh

slurp,
Haha, the scientific name sounds so weird
I better stick to "buah keranji" ;)
The fruits are not expensive.. affordable
The fruits are normally measured using a metal container, instead of weighing machine.
Few ringgits for one container
Some sellers use weighing machine though..

Astringent? Nope.. Not at all :)
Do look out for it if u happen to visit Sarawak again in the future

Chen said...

LB,
Aiyak.. "weird" stuff pulak
This is normal for Sarawakians lah, cos we eat it since childhood time liao..
Ah Ben, Pink Cotton, Ah Nel, Ehon and the others knows what is it..
Abuthen, Ah Boy is not Sarawakians,
That’s why he catches no ball too, similar as you all.
Kkkkkkkkkkk...

Sleek & sexy ah? Wah..
They are must better than the papaya seeds..
At least the "donkey" also loves it
Summore the donkey wanted to swallow the whole thing.
Really Hee Haw liao..

*faint*

kenny,
Hehehe, but the "skin" or shell is brittle
Can crack easily :)
Sure berkecai wan if u hit it hard as in playing guli
Don't play-play
LOLOL
So, it's better eat the fruit than to waste it as guli
Kkkkkk...

Chen said...

angel,
Can, u r mostly welcomed to mooooo…
Moo is one of my favourite leh..
Remember my previous MooMoo soft toys post?
Kkkkkkkkkkk...

Suaku KL ppl? Wah..U say wan hah..
LOL..
There are many others local fruits in Sarawak which is not available here leh..
See how’s my luck in my coming visit..
Hope I get to taste the so called "Jungle Durian" again - with orange-coloured flesh ;)

P/s: I tarak tau bila visit KL lagi leh..
My coming balik kampong trip is direct flight from Penang to Kuching liao. Tarak stop by KL

So many Moos in the house liao :)
Great
MooMoo Rocks !!

Misti,
Hhaha, Moo Moo is one of my favourites leh..
Remember those Moo Moo toys I have?
And not forgetting LB’s Ah MooLah too
LOL

Chen said...

winn,
LOL… cos we grow up in different "places" mah..
i'm from small town ;)
Weird to u but norm to us
(Weird to Ah Boy’s too since he is Penangites)

U must visit Sarawak again !!
To make yourself "weird" too, by eating all those local "weirdo" fruits & food stuff !!
LOL

ehon,
So today u learn one new word = Buah Keranji :)

I presume so lah, cos I never see it in other states in Malaysia.
Dunno whether it is available in Sabah or not. But I know it’s available in Jakarta since Selba knows what is it..

Yeah, that’s the way they sell the fruits in Sarikei. Using one medium size kong or metal container :)

Chen said...

selba,
Hehe, so the fruit is available in Jakarta too..
Seems like Sarawak & Jawa producing similar fruits, which are not available in Peninsular Malaysia or Singapore.

Wah.. can play games with the fruit!! Err, not the one who cracks the fruit first is the winner meh?
Become loser instead? Hahaha..

I never played with the fruit in the past. I only ate it..

eastcoastlife,
There are many things for u to explore..

Hahhaha, and fret not, cos you are not alone. From the comments above, many have never see nor eat the fruit yet. It’s available in Jakarta too, from Selba’s comment.

sengkor,
Mmmmm.. u ulu lah..
or might be Liucas is ulu.
Hehhehee.. it’s time for u to visit Sarawak liao ;)

ac,
Gua tarak tau liao..
Co-incidence kua..

Doreen said...

cute ler, never seen such a buah before...I want to try leh. wonder if can get in Miri or Kuching. Post some to me? hehehe

Anonymous said...

Wah this indeed bring back memories! Used to buy them every time we go to Sri Aman... and then me and my brother will put the keranji 'butt' to 'butt' and see which one crack first... have a keranji fight! Its fun!!! After that can eat the sweet sometimes sour flesh... *yum*

Cocka Doodle said...

Buah pelih kah?

Ehon said...

I think if they have it in Jakarta, then they should have it in Sabah also lar. I assume that it grows in the Borneo Island. :D

I am hook to reading your 'Medicine' entries wei. How, doktor? Any cure kah?

Chen said...

doreen,
Hah? How come u never see?
LOL
It's available in Kuching.
It should be available in Miri too
(I bought mine from Bintulu)
Remember to look out for Buah Keranji during your next trip back home.

These fruits are very fragile.
Can break easily ;)

Lisa,
Thanks for dropping by.
Your Keranji fight sounds cute ;)
Might be I can tried that out too
Keranji Fight !! :D

Cocka,
Ini cocka..
buah pelih pulak?
Mungkin ni Ayam punya bola lah. :P

Ehon,
Might be u can ask your Sabahan friends :) Hahaha u so rajin reading the archives. Have fun reading. I have more medical related posts, just that I didn't label my "old" posts ;)

Anonymous said...

I will describe the tastes. I am tired of hearing "heard to describe"!! I just bought two different Keranji, in Sibu over the weekend, both with a thin black brittle shell. The first were one inch = 25 mm long and have a reddish brown powder lightly packed around the single seed. This tastes sweet and sour just like the candy "sweet-tarts". Pretty good. They float in water!

The second were bigger about 1 1/2 inch (38mm) and looked the same outside but pretty different inside. There was more empty space in these and the pulp 2-3mm around the seed (sometimes 2 seeds) is brown and a bit sticky, and EXACTLY like a mixture of three parts good date (like from Dubai)one part raisins, and one part wheat flour. Really good, and would be great for cooking, if you can figure how to get enough without eating it meanwhile. I love it.

I also stopped at a longhouse where they have a wild keranji tree growing. It was powderly like the first but it is too sour to enjoy.

Jesse

Anonymous said...

i really luv this fruit.believe it or not,i'm eating it right in front of my laptop.tp kan...buah ni mmg susah nak jmp..da btahun 1 carik..mmg x jmp..then my mom found it kat tganu..really glad!

Unknown said...

Hi!

I am now in Costa Rica, and am trying to get Keranji seeds. Can anyone send me some (prefer 25 to 100, including a couple with the fruit to try them!). I will gladly pay USD$30 to whoever can send, but advise me first to not get from more than a few people. Can send money first if you need. I receive the packages no problem, just slow, but that is no problem with Keranji as it is dry.

Jesse Blenn
Apdo 715 -8000
San Isidro P.Z.
Costa Rica

jesseblenngmail.com or blenntec@gmail.com
Also VERY interested in any kind of TAMPOI, jungle durians, etc.
thanks!

Unknown said...

it tasted sweet and sour and loving it. use to have it in my hometown but rarely see in the market these days.. it's addictive once you get your hands on it.

somboon cheanswaths said...

You can still find them in the market in Kelantan and of course in South Thailand.