Top 20 fun things to enjoy in Kota Kinabalu! (No. 20 – Shop for Local Products)
Top 20 fun things to enjoy in Kota Kinabalu! (No. 20 – Shop for Local Products)
We appreciate that you probably haven’t come to Sabah to go shopping but there’s one opportunity that you shouldn’t miss and that’s shopping for local products. Stuck for ideas on what to take home to family, friends and colleagues? Well look no further as we provide some great ideas for authentic, quality and affordable gifts that we’re sure the lucky recipients will enjoy.
Our suggestions and recommendations below all focus on locally produced in Sabah products.
COFFEE
We start with coffee. The cultivation of coffee in Sabah is synonymous with the small town of Tenom that’s around 150km south of Kota Kinabalu. The coffee beans grown here are from the Robusta variety and a special mention to Yit Foh Coffee. The company was founded in 1960 by Mr. Yong Loong Vun and is the oldest and most famous coffee manufacturer in Sabah. The company is still family owned and managed by Mr. Yong’s son Mr. Alex Yong who works passionately to ensure that Yit Foh coffee continues to be produced in the traditional way by roasting coffee beans over wood-fire to bring out the true aroma of coffee.
Yit Foh Coffee is available in many formats: 2 in 1, 3 in 1, Drip Coffee, Coffee Powder through to the exotically durian flavoured coffee. All highly recommended.
TEA
The home of Sabah Tea is high up in the hills adjacent to UNESCO World Heritage Kinabalu National Park near the small town of Ranau that’s about a three hour journey from Kota Kinabalu. The tea harvested here is naturally 100% pesticide free as insects are drawn towards the 130 million year old rainforest surrounding the plantation. This results in the tea being pure and untouched. Another advantage of the plantation that’s nearly 2300 feet above sea level is that the local climate replicates spring-like conditions year-round which is the best time to harvest tea. The resulting product provides a tea naturally rich in flavour that doesn’t require any added colouring. Sabah Tea offer a number of interesting variations including Pandan, Agarwood, Geranium, Cinnamon, Ginger and Lemongrass flavoured – all are great gifts.
DRIED FRUITS
There must be in excess of 20 locally grown fruits that all prosper in Sabah’s tropical climate. Accordingly, you will find many dried fruits and freeze fried crisps packed in vacuum sealed packs. Popular flavours are banana, mango and why not try something really exotic like durian, ramputan or mangosteen?
CHOCOLATE
Read about the delicious chocolate and story of Cocoa Kingdom including the ‘Bean to Bar’ cocoa production process in our earlier blog.
BISCUIT (BISKUT)
Locally produced with minimal packaging these are popular with local people who like to enjoy a biskut with a cup of tea or coffee…(sound familiar…?) and also visitors to Sabah who are peckish between meals. Some are simply ‘biscuit flavoured’ (with lots of sugar!) and some are best described as a traditional savory fish-flavoured cracker are known as amplang.
Fully packaged biscuits are also available in flavours such as durian, mango and coffee.
WHERE TO BUY LOCAL PRODUCTS?
There are many local product shops in Kota Kinabalu and some of the city centre supermarkets have dedicated Local Product areas such as Servay Hypermarket located on the seafront opposite the Filipino Market selling coffee, tea, fully packaged biscuits and dried fruits.
Cocoa Kingdom chocolate is currently only available at Cocoa Kingdom (refer to separate blog for more details).
Locally produced biscuits in minimal packaging and amplang are available from market stalls including Sunday Morning Market
and the Waterside Markets with ‘try before you buy’ available
In Conclusion
These ‘little pieces of Sabah’ are authentic gifts to take home that are sure to be a ‘talking-point’ with family, friends and colleagues and it’s great that you’re directly supporting local peoples and the local Sabah economy.
Top Tips for Visitors
As you’re aware, some countries have very stringent rules regarding importation of foodstuffs – so ensure you check the rules before taking home any foodstuffs
Check labels to ensure that your products are truly locally produced in Sabah
Buy more than you think you need – then you won’t feel guilty when you keep some for yourself once you get back home!
About Martin
Martin is a British expat living in Kota Kinabalu who arranges tailored tours within Sabah primarily for British and Western tourists on behalf of Blue Kinabalu Travel Agency. Please help spread the word about beautiful Sabah and share this post using the social share buttons below.