Dabai, Canarium odontophyllum, of family Burseraceae is a seasonal fruit found in Sarawak markets, especially towards the end of the year. Dabai is indigenous to Sumatra, Borneo and Palawan.
The dabai tree can grow up to 21 meters in height, upright growing with large, pinnate leaves. Dabai trees are dioecious with separate male and female trees. They are very heavy bearers and yields of up to 800kg per tree have been recorded. A planting distance of 9 meters is recommended.
Dabai fruits are white colour when immature, turning purple-black when ripe. The fruit stand out as being very nutritious for their high energy ( 149-339 kcal/100g edible portion ), protein ( 2.6 - 3.8% ) and potassium ( 362 – 810 mg/100g edible portion ). The edible portion is the unctuous mesocarp about 6 -8 mm thick that surrounds the hard 3 angular seed.
