TEMPO.CO, Tuesday 04 March 2014,
Jakarta - Strong aroma of durian was common at Pasar Bendo rest area in Kalibawang District, Kulon Progo Regency. You could always distinct its unique smell from others in the market. Under a roof with no walls and cemented floor, thousands of Menoreh durians, a superior variety of Kalibawang, were piled up to be picked, bought, and served by visitors at the 2014 Banjaroya Durian Festival on Sunday, March 2, 2014.
"The characteristics of the durian are its yellowish color and bitter taste," Tukirin, a durian farmer who participated in the festival, told Tempo.
Buyers had to be smart, as well as lucky to get a bright yellow durian, like butter, with sweet taste. Buyers could also found pink Menoreh Jambon durians. Other type of durian was a local variety with pale yellow pulps.
That morning, Tukirin had a task to transport his durians from home to the festival with a motorcycle. His wife, Siti Istikomah, was assigned to wait the durians and to serve buyers. "The seeds were from that tree," Tukirin said and pointed a strong tall tree behind the market.
The tree was very old that Tukirin could not be sure about its age. Despite its age, the tree still produces durians. Some fruits were bound with raffia ropes to prevent them from falling to the ground and smashed when they ripe.
Tukirin said that the number of visitors at this year's festival was higher than last year. At 9:15 am, the market was crowded with buyers that caused the village road congested as they got in line to buy durians. Visitors came to pick and make a bargain, to eat durians at the festival location, or to go sightseeing and take some photographs. The buyers mostly came from Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, Magelang, and Semarang.
With a range of Rp20,000 (less than US$2) to Rp150,000 (around US$12.5) prices, a visitor took at least one durian home. One particular buyer even booked 50 durians to be delivered.
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ma 3 maa 2014 - 21:46