Borneo palm fruits-Sarawak's trusum fruit (Salacca Wallichiana C. Martius)

The Bidayuh of Sarawak, a state in Malaysia, in Borneo island, call this fruit 'trusum'.  In West Malaysia where this fruit is also found growing wild in the forest, it is called 'rekam'.  The botanical name for this fruit is Salacca Wallichiana C. Martius.  The synonym for this fruit is  zalacca rumphii.  This fruit is better known in Thailand as luk rakam. In Sarawak, this iguanura (palmae) chaiana is a new species. To many people in Sarawak, this fruit is unknown.  The salak fruit is more well known.

Unlike the salak fruit which is yellowish brown, the trusum fruit is dark ruby red.  It has the same snake skin.  This fruit is sweet and sour.  It is eaten raw.  The creamy white pulp is smooth and  juicy. There are two to three seeds in a fruit.  It is also made into a sambal with the fruit slices mixed with belacan (shrimp paste), pounded dried anchovies and small chili.

This fruit has a short pointed tip like the salak fruit. This is a palm fruit from the palmae family.  According to jungle produce market stallholder, John ak Jul, this fruit are harvested from the jungle at kampung Sungei Pinang in Bau district.  In other places in Malaysia, it is found growing wild in its natural habitat-the swamplands.  These fruits are found at mid-trunk.  A ripe fruit will turn maroon red. This fruit is not seasonal.  It can be harvested every month.