LOOKING for pickled fruits without any harmful food additives? If yes, then ‘Jeruk Taqi’ could be your choice.
Jeruk Taqi or previously known as ‘Jeruk Junjong’ is a special pickled fruit that is mixed with ‘madu kelulut’ (stingless bee honey) to bring out the fruit’s natural sweetness. Add a special vinegar to it and you will get a zippy kick.
The product is made by a local enterprise, known as Trio Bangkit Enterprise located in Bukit Minyak, Bukit Mertajam.
It is owned by a young and ambitious Penangite entrepreneur Ahmad Taqiuddin Jamaluddin, who is 28 years old.
Ahmad Taqiuddin said his pickled fruits are different from others.
“We use stingless bee honey and also an organic apple cider vinegar as the main ingredients to create a sour and sweet taste for the pickled fruits.
“Some other pickled fruits in the market have a lot of vinegar and food additives that are not good for health.
“Our pickled fruits are not too sweet or too sour, but they are more balanced in taste and good for health as well. This is what makes our products different from others,” he told Buletin Mutiara in a phone interview today.
Ahmad Taqiuddin added that all his pickled fruit products are halal-certified and have also been approved and recognised by the Health Ministry (MoH).
“They are certified as safe and healthy products through MeSTI certification by the MoH.
“Thus, this proved that our products are safe, without any adverse effects on the people.
“So, our customers can enjoy the delicious pickled fruits without worries about anything,” he said.
According to Ahmad Taqiuddin, there are currently 10 types of pickled fruits produced by his company.
“Among the products are pickled mangoes, papaya, guava and many others.
“The prices range from RM7 to RM30, depending on the weight and type of pickled fruits.
“And I am grateful that so far our products are well received by the public, with gross profits estimated at between RM40,000 and RM50,000 per month.
“I also would like to express my utmost gratitude and appreciation to the Penang government for providing various types of assistance since I started this business in 2016,” he added.
Ahmad Taqiuddin also revealed that his company has plans to set up food trucks to sell pickled fruits and local delicacies at tourist spots in Penang.
“This can further promote our products and also Penang’s popular local food to the public and tourists.
“We have already finished decorating the food trucks, but due to the current Covid-19 situation in our country, the plan has to be postponed.
“Hopefully, when everything is back to normal, we will proceed.
“We also plan to add more fruits to our pickled fruit products, such as rambutan and pineapple,” he said.
Those interested in Jeruk Taqi can purchase it through the Shopee platform under the name of ‘Taqi Penang Signature’ or call 013-487 9597 for any inquiry.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Law Suun Ting