Karangasem, On the Wallace Line

Salak, the Eastern Bali’s Fruit

Observing the Sibetan name, our mind should be directed towards the salak (Zalacca palm) fruit. Sibetan village that located at Bebandem sub district, Karangasem, has an own trademark as a famous salak producer in Bali. It takes 27 km to the west from Amlapura town. Entering to this village, salak tree can be glance along the road that well fenced. The fences are made from the droughty salak tree.

Actually, in Sibetan village exist about 13 types of salak tree; there are salak merah, gula pasir, injin, gondok, nangka, sepat, merah, putih, cengkeh, kelapa, bingin (beringin), boni, and salak cemara. From all those types, each has own characteristic as its name. For example, salak nenas (pineapple salak) that sweet tastes just like a pineapple. Salak putih (White salak) has characteristic of white in skin and also of its content. Usually, the salak’s peel is of black-brownies and white-brownies of its content (light-yellow).
According to I Made Dana, a salak farmer who also offers a salak garden package to the tourist, gula pasir salak begin improved by the Sibetan villager. The price of this type of salak is more expensive rather than the ordinary ones. Usually, salak Sibetan that well known as salak Bali is used as Balinese traditional souvenir. Salak is in season fruit, especially in January – February, the price reaches up to Rp. 5000 per kg. To reduce the loss-risk because of descending price, the farmer processes salak fruit into wine, salak crispy chips, and dodol salak (sweet food made of salak). Salak also plays a role in offering making.
Salak palms grow in hills and mountain range territory of high humidity level soil. The special quality of salak Sibetan is the sweet tasting fruit even though it is still immature. With this mainstay excellence fruit, Sibetan villager packs their area and becomes eco-tourism attraction of salak garden package.
The local farmer who also as the eco-tourism organizer offers a tracking lane of 2.5 km length traveling round the garden. The tourist directly towards Dukuh sub village hall, and then accompanied by local guide to travel within the salak and coconut garden. A small hut exists inside the garden area. Under this small hut, the tourist may enjoy for delicious sweet tasted of salak and coconut palm. If the tourist tends to stay for one night in the village, the villager house also available for them.
The villager prepares a staying house for the tourist. “Our village welcomes tourists that commonly come from Australia, Philippines, America, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, and others countries,” said Dana. Sibetan village often used for observation and field research school or university in Indonesia. (BTN/033)