Best of Malaysia

Fruits of Malaysia

Wherever you travel in Malaysia, you are bound to come across some stalls that sell fruits of the country. The rich Malaysian soil allows many of these fruits to grow in abundance and throughout the year.

• Durian

Durian is often called the "king of fruits" by those who love it.For instance, it has a smell that can be "over-powering" to those newly introduced to it. 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.

• Starfruit

Another local fruit that is highly recommended is the starfruit, or sometimes called the "belimbing". It has a greenish to yellowish color, appears translucent, and has a star-like shape with refreshing taste.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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