Ali Omar, 78, scooping out freshly boiled buah jering at his stall in Kampung Bukit Besar, Kuala Terengganu.
The peeled fruit, which looks like a giant version of petai and shares the same texture, is normally eaten as an ulam (fresh salad) in the west coast of Malaysia. Over in the east coast, however, it is consumed as a cooked snack and Ali’s stall is a popular one in the Bukit Besar neighbourhood.
Popularly known as Pak Ali Jering, he has been selling the kuih for about 10 years now. As the fruit is naturally bitter and smelly, it requires the know-how to make it palatable and Pak Ali is not about to divulge his recipe. However, he reveals that he boils the fruit for 14 hours and serves it with fresh grated coconut. He sells the snack for RM2.50 a cup.
The locals believe that buah jering helps in treating high blood pressure and diabetes.
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