Sarawakian Local Delights : Buah Ma

Buah Ma or Buah Pulasan.

The fruit that can be "opened" by twisting the skin looks like rambutans, a more common fruit in Sarawak.

The pulasan (Nephelium mutabile Blume) is often confused with the rambutan. The Ibans call this fruit Buah Ma (with a k at the end). It is called pulasan in English, Spanish and Malay . In Indonesia it is called kapulasan. It is not known outside South East Asia.

Good variety of pulasan is very favoured and garners a higher price than the rambutan.

Unlike the rambutan, the pulasan tree is not tall. After a few years of growth, it starts bearing fruit when it is about 10 feet tall. It is quite easily grown around the house.

The name pulasan comes from the Malay word pulas meaning twist.

The skin gives a reddish dye.