Lai durian

What it is

Lai's botanical name is Durio kutejensis. The yellow fruit has five sides and reaches about 20 by 12 cm (8 by 5 in). Each glossy brown seed sits inside a fleshy covering called an aril: this is the part you eat.

Lai Kutai's flesh is bright yellow-orange, sweet and smooth. Lai Mahakam has thick flesh with a drier texture. Both belong to the same species, despite their differences in colour and feel.

Where it comes from

Wild lai grows in the foothills of Borneo's central mountains. In Sarawak it grows on fertile, clay-rich forest soils. People also plant it beyond Borneo, including in Java, for fruit and as a garden tree.

Batuah village, in East Kalimantan's Kutai Kartanegara district, is home to three named varieties: Lai Batuah, Lai Kutai and Lai Mahakam. Growers use budding and grafting to carry these varieties into new orchards.

How it's eaten where it grows

In parts of Kalimantan, lai is called papakin or pekawai. The flesh is eaten fresh and also goes into desserts. Cake papakin is one home-baking example: Utari Ning Hadiyati's sponge cake blends the flesh with coconut milk, then folds it with flour into beaten eggs and sugar before baking.

How it's grown

Lai is an evergreen tree with silvery-gold leaf undersides and red flowers on its older branches. It grows well in fertile clay soil that drains freely. In East Kalimantan, trees can begin bearing fruit after four to five years. Growers pick when the skin starts turning yellow and yellow lines appear along the fruit's segments, then let it ripen for two to three days.

When and where you'll find it

In East Kalimantan, lai usually fruits once a year, from late December through early March. Fresh fruit is sold locally, including in Batuah village. Lai Batuah, Lai Kutai and Lai Mahakam are names from this growing area, useful for putting a name to the different flesh colours and textures.