Sarawakian Local Delights : Buah Kubal

God created a Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve and He was "happy". The fruits were free, the birds were free to fly and animals were free to roam. This was quite the state of the Sarawak Rainforest at the beginning of time!!


Many Ibans in Sarawak today have memories of having lots of wild and garden fruits to eat during their childhood. In the olden days they "enjoyed fruits planted by their hardworking mother" and the seasonal wild fruits their families could find.

When Iban mothers planted their rice (while their husbands went on their berjalai) these hardworking mothers cut through the jungle to establish new temuda or small gardens creating their fruit garden..enough for the family from season to season. Because of their farsightedness they grew the best of the durians or langsat for example. Even today many fruit sellers would say upon being asked, "Where are these fruits from?" They would answer."These were grown by my mother." And the fruits would be good indeed. But if you meet a con man, it could be a different story.

the kubal fruit grows from a vine which is indeed very surprising to many people since it can be such a big fruit. Some can be as big as a papaya.

The kubal can also be used in tuak making.