Eating Buah Tematu

credits: riaukepri.com

Buah tematu also pronounce as 'tematuk' by Sarawakian, is a type of fruit with solid shell. Also known as sea coconut, the fruit of pokok apong/nipah is synonym with traditional dessert. The crystal jelly inside the shell is a hidden food inside the paya forest.

However, to harvest the crystal jelly is not an easy task. The path inside the paya forest, covered by mangrove trees and muddy wet-slippery soil is very challenging and exhausted. Tematu harvesting is really a man's job.

This December, tematu can be seen along the roadside of Kampung Buntal where people can buy tematu with a good price.  That's the best part. The other good part is, you don't have to fold your pants and drown inside the muddy soil. 

Isn't that easy?

On 09 December, my sister drove leisurely to Kampung Buntal as she heard about the newest tambak is opening. Sadly, it's not ready for public. Still under construction, maybe. That was how we stumble to this fruit, Mr. Tematu from Buntal mangrove.

See the solid shell. It will be difficult to tear them off.


So, few men help to tear tematu to smaller size. It's easy to carry tematu in smaller size, they said. I don't remember how much its price but as far as I concern, the price is acceptable.

This small shop also offers to tear, clean, and send tematu into you car. They also ready to crack the shell and dig the jelly, if you willing to pay the service. But it would be lack of experience if we let them do all works. So, we just let them do the tear-clean-send job. The cracking job?

My dad wants to do it.

Okay, let's proceed to the process.

This is what it looks like when tematu became
single. It looks a bit like kuaci. A big, gigantic kuaci.

This is what it looks like when the shell is
being cut. The middle part is the jelly.

Dig the jelly with the edge of the spoon.
We have to cut more and dig more in order
to have more. 

The result after cutting and digging inside
the sea coconut. This is hard work.

To enjoy the taste of buah tematu, boil some sugar
water with pandan leaves. Then, mix it with buah tematu.
After that, add syrup essence and have a nice evening, peeps~

This buah tematu also suitable with ABC, cendol, ice-cream or other cool dessert things. Don't forget to try it :)

@themagi2014