Last December, a boatman from Ulu Kanowit called me at 7 in the morning. The dabai was ready. Two days earlier than expected. I had to drop everything and arrange the pickup before the fruit turned.
That is dabai for you. It waits for no one.
So What Exactly Is Dabai?
Dabai (Canarium odontophyllum) is a small, dark-skinned fruit native to Borneo. People call it the Sarawak olive, which is a fair comparison. The skin is deep purple-black. The flesh underneath is pale yellow, oily, and rich.
It tastes like nothing else. Earthy, slightly bitter, creamy, with a nutty finish. Once you have eaten dabai properly soaked in warm salted water, you do not forget it.
Outside of Sarawak, almost no one has heard of it. That is both the problem and the opportunity.
Where Does It Come From?
Dabai grows along the Rajang River basin. The fruit we source at SFE comes mainly from Ulu Kanowit, Ngemah, and Song. These are interior communities, upriver from Sibu, accessible mostly by longboat or four-wheel drive on logging roads.
It is not an easy supply chain. I will be honest about that.
The harvest season runs roughly November to January. Outside of that window, fresh dabai simply does not exist. That is why paste matters so much - it preserves the flavour and makes the fruit usable year-round.
What Does Dabai Taste Like in a Product Context?
For food manufacturers and cafe owners, here is how I would describe the flavour profile:
- Umami and depth - similar to black olive or avocado, but more complex
- Mild bitterness - rounds out sweet applications, balances rich ones
- Natural fat content - gives spreads and fillings a smooth, lingering texture
- Dark colour - deep purple-brown, visually striking in pastry and savoury applications
We have seen dabai paste work well in kuih fillings, artisan bread spreads, fusion sauces, and even salad dressings. The flavour is unusual enough to be a talking point on any menu.
How We Process It at SFE
Fresh dabai is soaked in hot water to soften the flesh - that is the traditional method. We follow the same principle at our Sibu facility, then pit and blend the fruit into a stable paste.
No artificial flavouring. No colouring. Just dabai.
Once the paste is ready, we vacuum seal it, blast freeze it, and store it in our freezer. That process locks in the flavour and keeps the paste consistent whether you order in January or July.
The paste is packed for B2B use - suitable for bakeries, hotels, food processors, and anyone who wants to work with a genuinely rare Sarawak ingredient without managing the upriver logistics themselves. That part, we handle.
Why Consider It for Your Business?
Malaysian consumers are increasingly interested in local and heritage ingredients. Dabai is about as local and heritage as it gets. It has a real story - Borneo, the Rajang river, indigenous farming communities. That story has value on a menu or a product label.
It is also simply delicious. I am biased, obviously. People call me Budak Dabai (the Dabai Kid) for a reason. But the cafes and bakeries who have tried our paste tend to come back for more, which I think is the more objective measure.
If you are curious about using dabai paste in your products, WhatsApp me and I can send you a sample. No commitment needed - just try it and see if it fits what you are making.
— Budak Dabai, Sarawak Fruit Enterprise