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Home > Dining
Out > Local Fruits
Durian
Durian
is often called the "King of Fruits" by those who love it.
"It smells like
hell and tastes like heaven," is a common description of the durian, the
national fruit.
It has a thorny appearance and could hurt if you
allowed it to fall on your feet! It is even quite difficult getting at the
fruit inside.
Good durians have pulp that are neither watery nor hard to
touch. It is kind of the in-between that is considered most delicious. |
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Mangosteen
The
mangosteen is considered to be a choice tropical fruit and like the
durian, native to Malaysia.
While the durian is seen as " heaty"
for the body, the mangosteen is "cooling".
Shaped like round
berries, the size of tennis balls, it has a thick fibrous outer layer that
is usually maroon in color.
It is easy to open by merely pressing between
the palms. |
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Starfruit
Another
local fruit that is highly recommended is the starfruit, or sometimes
called the "belimbing".
The name is obvious once you see a
starfruit for the first time.
This waxy, four-ridged fruit is one of the
best thirst quenchers around, and it is available almost anywhere in
Malaysia.
Its flesh is watery, crunchy, and
sweet. |
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Pamelo
(Jerunga)
Though it looks
like a grapefruit, the pomelo's sweet taste is far closer to that of an
orange. It is the largest of the citrus fruits, and has a thick rind. It
is also known as jerunga. |
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Guava
Also a native of tropical America, the guava
is known for its musky aroma and soft, delicious pulp. It has a thin
greenish-yellow skin and a flesh of varying thickness which may be white,
yellow-pink or red. It is popularly consumed in juice, ice cream,
marmalade, and jam, and of course eaten raw. |
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Ciku
The Ciku fruits are produced in
frequent intervals throughout the year. The fruits are round or oval,
about 5 - 10cm long. Mature fruits have a dull pale to rusty brown thin
skin. When ripe the flesh is yellowish to pinkish brown, soft, sweet and
delicious. Unripe fruits are hard and unpleasantly astringent. Each fruit
has 2- 3 seeds about 1.5 - 2 cm long which are hard, black, shiny and
somewhat flattened. They are easily separated from the
flesh. |
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Coconut
Few people need an introduction to the
coconut, which has a worldwide following due to its widespread use as a
flavoring in candy, ice cream, and sauces. Fresh coconuts are
available year-round in Malaysia, and coconut milk is present in a variety
of culinary
treats. The peak season lasts from October to December. Choose one
that's heavy for its size and that sounds full of liquid when shaken;
avoid those with damp "eyes." |
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Jackfruit
(Nangka)
Those who have
never seen a jackfruit, or Nangka, are often surprised when they see these
hulking, yellow-green fruits for the first time. They can weight up to 20
Kg, and inside are many bright yellow segments. They taste lightly sweet,
with a very enticing aroma. |
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Papaya
The
papaya is a fruit with its origins in South America. But it has grown well
in this region and is considered almost native. This fruit is noted for
its flavor and the flesh is usually orange to reddish in color. The fruit
can be eaten fresh or chilled. Just add a squeeze of lime or lemon for
added taste. It also can be added to salads,
baked
and served as a vegetable, made into sauce, jam, jelly, pickles, or
juice. |
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Rambutan
The
rambutan season takes place twice a year. The egg-shaped fruit has a
reddish-yellowish color, or a combination of colors, as its outer skin.
The skin and seed are discarded, but the flesh is usually white, sweet,
and juicy. |
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Pineapple
The
pineapple is known as nanas locally. There are two pineapple commercial
varieties in the country. For canning, they are known as "nanas merah"
(red pineapple) or "nanas hijau" (green pineapple). For eating
raw, the nanas Sarawak (Sarawak pineapple) and nanas Moris (Moris
pineapple) is used. The nanas Sarawak is usually minimum in size with pale
yellow flesh. The nanas Moris is usually smaller with a bright yellow
flesh. |
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