Revenge of the Scorpions

Not one, but two women who bought the same tropical fruit from two different market stalls were stung by scorpions that were lurking in the bunches.

Daylight come and he wan' go home.

Langsat The fruit, known as langsat, has gray-yellow or pale-brown (and sometimes pink) skin with a velvety or leather-like texture. Inside are five to six segments of white, translucent, aromatic and juicy flesh with an acidic flavour. The seeds are bitter and not eaten, though if close to the flesh can transfer bitterness to it.

One woman was stung while taking langsats from a plastic bag; the other while plucking some from a bunch in the refrigerator. You'd be pissed too if someone cut off your air supply or shoved you in the ice box.

The predictable government response came from the Centre for Health Protection, which proclaimed that "langsats should be carefully examined by holding the stalk of a bunch and shaking it vigorously under water before taking individual fruit, as scorpion may hide in the bunch". Talk about closing the barn door.

If they're quick-thinking, Hong Kong's fruit vendors can capitalise on this news by making signs reading either:

· Our langsats are scorpion-free! or

· Buy langsats, get one scorpion FREE!

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