Fishy Business

EEeeekkk!! Look at those eyes!!! Now you wouldn’t normally find me in the Fish area of the supermarket, but I stopped in my tracks last night when I caught a glimpse of these frozen Bug-eyed freaks. Mesmerised, no, bemused, I took a closer look and nearly pissed myself laughing when I saw the label “Big Eyes Fish”… kreatif sungguh!!

But upon even closer examination…

HAHA!! Now that’s what I call creativity! Ikan UJI RASHID!!

For those not in the know, Uji Rashid was a 70’s superstar who was famous for here manja voice and HUGE eyes… join the dots, guys….

Not sure what Uji Rashid feels about being referred to as a fish though…

Durian Dedahan

Absolutely one of my favourite types of Durian! It gets its name from how it grows along the low branches of its tree (“Dahan” meaning “branches”). Simply “Dedan” in Tutong.

Dedahan has a less pungent smell than the normal Durian kuning. In fact it’s got a sweeter smell, and the skin is an eye-catching bright yellow.

Just as brightly coloured is the flesh, which unlike other types of durian, peels easily off the seed. It doesn’t stick to your fingers and leave a mess, so is easier to eat. It is also less ‘custardy’ than the normal durian.

Dedahan really is a dessert durian owing to its very sweet taste. But that’s not the only edible part of the Dedahan, or all other durians for that matter. My parents would collect and boil the seeds, which when peeled, would give you a nice kampung style snack for munchies.

Pesta Buah-Buahan Tempatan

(In case you’re wondering why this blog appears Raya-shy for its lack of Raya reports, it’s because all the photos are in the camera and I can’t find the bloody transfer cable! My trusted Sony Mobile does an OK job, but just OK. Must find cable.)

Last Sunday, we were possessed by this sudden urge to have some stinky local durian and like a godsent, we heard on the radio that it was the last day of the local fruit fair in Lamunin, just a half hour’s drive from town. So we jumped into the bat mobile and followed our noses to the fair.

There was a wide array of local fruit that are in season now.

This woman is everywhere!

The ubiquitous red rambutan, and some yellow ones as well.

My preferred red rambutan comes in various types (the fleshy Rambutan Lychee, the crunchy Rambutan Budak Sekolah, for instance); while the flesh of the yellow rambutan is usually very fibrous and sticks to the seed. But my absolute favourite is the sweet and sour orange coloured rambutan. Unfortunately, I’ve not come across this yet this year.

There were other produce as well.

Mango-family Buah Mambangan @ Esom

This is Tampoi Belimbing with its beautiful dome shape and bright pinkish-orange colour. And of course, there was Durian, what we came here for. In fact, it’s what everybody came here to buy really.

We wasted no time in choosing our durian… or devouring them, as evidenced by this pic of manusia tidak berwajah and who shall remain nameless.

It was all in all a very successful trip. We were told by the Durian guy that the Pesta Buah would be extended to the end of the month. So if you’ve never been to inland Tutong, you should go visit Lamunin, if not for the fruit, perhaps for a rare taste of Kampung life and its charms.