“Belimbing hutan or belimbing darah,” doesn’t that sound like something out of a fairy tale? We are standing before the Buah Tampoi Belimbing Sculpture. This fruit is also known locally as ucong or embaling. It is a species of flowering plant in the tampoi family.
The Buah Tampoi Belimbing Sculpture celebrates a fruit native to Southeast Asia. It is especially found in Indonesia. But it is also native to Borneo.
Imagine strolling through a Bornean village. You might see these trees cultivated near homes. People collect the fruits from the wild too. They sell them in markets.
The Baccaurea angulata tree can grow quite tall. It reaches heights of 6 to 21 meters. Its trunk can be 2 to 5 meters wide. The tree has smooth oval leaves. They are about 12 to 30 cm long. They are also 4 to 14 cm wide. Cream to yellow flowers bloom along the trunk and branches.
Now picture the fruit itself. The fruits are berries with a distinctive shape. They look like pointy pentagons. They measure 5 to 6 cm long. They are also 2.3 to 2.6 cm in diameter. Slice one open. You will see a star-shaped cross-section. Unripe fruits are dark purple. Ripe ones turn bright red.
The shell is hard but easy to open. Inside, seeds are surrounded by an edible white arillode. People enjoy eating the pulp fresh. It can also be juiced. The epicarp, or outer layer, can be made into preserves.
Locals in Sarawak call it buah ujong or buah geruming. It often appears at the end of the fruit season. This coincides with the rambai season. Though sweet, the fruit is not very fleshy. The really red ones make a nice table decoration.
Here is a smart-aleck fact. The skin can be dried in the sun. It is then used as asam keping. This adds flavor to fish soup. Some people enjoy frying ikan bilis with the sliced dried skins and onions.
Someone once suggested freezing the fruits. Like rambutans they can last a long time that way. Some say that frozen they taste good. Some even suggest uchong ice cream. They say if you close your eyes, the taste is like kiwi fruit.
The Buah Tampoi Belimbing Sculpture immortalizes this unique fruit. It reminds us of Borneo’s natural treasures. It also shows the resourcefulness of its people. From eating it fresh to preserving the skin, every part has a use. This sculpture invites us to appreciate the gifts of nature. It also encourages us to preserve cultural traditions.