Bambangan

What it is

The fruit is Mangifera pajang, a round or oval wild mango. Typical fruits weigh 500 g to 1 kg (1.1–2.2 lb). Their thick skin changes from green to brown as they ripen; the flesh beneath is yellow-gold.

The thick pulp is strongly scented and fibrous. The rind has a corrosive latex layer, so it is peeled away from the edible flesh. Its aroma is also used locally to judge when the fruit is ripe.

Where it comes from

Bambangan belongs to the whole island of Borneo: Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesian Kalimantan. It grows in lowland forest and in Dayak orchards. For much of its history it stayed within this native range; fruit-tree collections outside Borneo began receiving it in the 1980s.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Sarawak, where the fruit is also called embang, sambal bambangan combines grated flesh with chillies, sugar, salt and belacan, a shrimp paste. It goes beside rice and grilled fish or meat. The fruit supplies the sour-sweet part of the condiment.

Jeruk bambangan is the pickle. The flesh and its grated seed kernel are pickled together, kept for a long time and eaten with plain rice or other side dishes.

How it's grown

The tree can reach 33 m (108 ft) and sheds its leaves. It grows in the wet tropics with plentiful rain through the year, but avoids swampy ground. Seedlings need moisture and light shade. Growers raise it from seed or attach buds from a chosen tree to young rootstocks.

When and where you'll find it

August and September usually fall within Sabah’s fresh-fruit season. Whole bambangan reaches local markets, shops and roadside stalls, including the market at Tamparuli. Preserved fruit is another form to meet: jeruk bambangan is a local grocery product in Kota Kinabalu, eaten as a condiment alongside a meal.