Wild durians a hit in Sabah

Local delight: Hasril selling dalit durians at the roadside along the Lok Kawi–Kota Kinabalu road. — NORMIMIE DIUN / The Star

KOTA KINABALU: Wild durians are gaining popularity among durian lovers here although they are not as sweet as varieties that are commercially cultivated.

These wild durians, known by Kadazan­dusun names as sukang (red) or dalit (red to orange flesh), are commonly found in the more remote parts of the state.

Despite being passed over in favour of the more commercially proven varieties, wild durians still have their own niche with some connoisseurs paying top ringgit for them.

Durian trader Hasril Habir said the red sukang, characterised by long and curved spikes, and the dalit, which morphs from white flowers to become orange roundish fruits when ripe, can be sold at RM25 per kilo, higher than other common or kampung varieties that retail from RM15 to RM20 per kilo.

Pricewise, the musang king still comes out tops, sometimes fetching RM50 per kilo.

“Apart from Sabahans, most of those who love to buy the dalit or sukang are visitors from Brunei,” he said, adding that the sukang and dalit trees are cultivated only in small ­numbers. Altogether, there are about 12 types of wild durians in Sabah.

Housewife Mimie Sanjis, 39, said she loved the dalit as there was nothing like it in terms of taste.

“I can’t really explain the taste in words, but the texture and different taste of the fruit are why I love it so much, compared with other types of durians,” she said.

“For me, it is also not as filling as the common yellow or white fleshed durians, so we can eat more,” she added.