Indonesian fruits: fun, creepy, healthy, delicious
Fruits is one of the five food groups that are recommended
by the USDA to be consumed daily. Being born in a tropical country, I grew up
eating many different fruits that are not available in the United States.
Indonesia lays right on the equator, meaning it’s always summer in Indonesia!
Because of its geographical location, Indonesia is gifted with tropical fruits.
Not only they are very delicious, but these fruits are also rich in nutrients and worth
the trip! If Indonesia is not on your trip calendar yet, read on to familiar
yourself for future trips! And if you’re lucky, you can find some of these
fruits at your nearest Asian/international grocery stores!
· Durian
Known as the king of fruits in southeast
Asian countries. It is known for its smell and strong taste due to its Volatile
Sulphur Compounds (VSC). Despite its smell, durian fruit is a good source of
macronutrients; carbohydrates (27%), fat (5.33%), and protein (1.47%); as well
as micronutrients; vitamin C, folic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6,
vitamin A, potassium, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, and phosphorus
(Husin, Rahman, Karunakaran, and Bhore, 2018). Not only it is nutritious to
consume, but its leaf and roots decoction also have febrifuge and anti-malarial
properties (Husin, Rahman, Karunakaran, and Bhore, 2018).
How to eat it?
Cut the fruit in half with a large, sharp
knife. The meat should be visible, and you can start taking them with your
hands. Then, make long incision through the thick skin in between meats, then
pull the two sides back with both hands. Be careful not to prick yourself with
the sharp edges!
Fun fact
To get rid of its stinky aroma, Indonesians
would use durian husk to clean their hands. After eating durian with bare
hands, rinse hands with water, then gently scrub hands and fingers with durian
husk before continuing washing it with soap and water.
Can you get it in the US?
You can find durian in some Asian or
international grocery stores. They might have it fresh, frozen, or processed
into different types of dessert
· Rambutan
In Bahasa Indonesia, “rambut” means “hair”.
Rambutan got its name from its hairy outer shell. Rambutan has similar taste
and texture to lychee and longan. Rambutan is rich in vitamin C, fiber, copper,
manganese, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, and zinc.
How to eat it?
This fruit can be easily peeled by pinching
the skin with two hands and pulling the two sides apart. There is a big seed in
the middle, which is a choking hazard for kids. Make sure to cut them if
planning to feed rambutan to children.
Can you get it in the US?
Yes! Some Asian grocery stores would have
these fruits on sale. It is available fresh or canned. To pick fresh rambutan,
find the ones with mostly red color with slightly green color on the hairy
part.
· Mangosteen
(manggis)
Mangosteen originated from Sunda island and The Moluccas in Indonesia and has spread throughout the Southeast Asian countries.
This tropical fruit has hard, thick, dark purple outer shell. When it is
peeled, the inner shell is red, and the edible part is the white part. The
edible part is soft, creamy, and sweet. The seed is interesting because some of
them are soft enough that it is edible, but some are hard and thick that it is
a choking hazard for children. The edible portion is rich in fiber, vitamin C,
and carbohydrates. The rind is often used for medicinal use; dried rind to
overcome dysentery, ointment for eczema and other skin disorders, decoction and
water infusion is used to relieve diarrhea.
How to eat it?
Similar to peeling rambutan, mangosteen
outer shell can be peeled by pinching it on two sides and pulling them apart to
reveal the white edible parts. If it is ripe, the edible part can be easily
pulled with hand or fork
Can you get it in the US?
I have seen mangosteen in some Asian
grocery stores around the US. It gets very tricky to choose the ripe ones,
because they tend to be smaller and harder. Ripe mangosteen would show
indentation when slightly pressed in
· Buah Sawo (sapodilla)
Sawo is originated from Central America
regions. It was brought to the Philippines before it is spread throughout the
southeast Asian countries. It is personally my favorite fruit because of its texture, sweetness, and tartness. Once this fruit is ripe, it should be eaten
immediately because it rots in 2 short weeks. This fruit is a good source of
carbohydrates and vitamin C. Just like the other fruits, the seeds can be
choking hazards. However, the ingestion of 6 or more seeds would cause toxicity
due to the high content of saponin and sapotinin, which would cause abdominal
pain and vomiting.
How to eat it?
This fruit would have to be peeled with
pairing knife or a peeler. Some people would cut it in halves or quarters to
reveal the seeds and take them out before eating, but it could also be eaten
like an apple after peeling the skin as long as the seeds are not swallowed
Can you get it in the US?
This fruit is considered rare in Indonesia,
and I personally have not found it in any store in the US.
· Ciplukan
(ground cherry/gooseberry)
Ground cherry, also known as gooseberry is
originated from Brazil, then it made its way to the south American regions,
Australia, and Southeast Asia. Gooseberry is wildly grown in Indonesia and
because it is everywhere, a lot of people don’t realize that it is edible and
it is actually very high in nutrients. Gooseberry is similar to cherry tomatoes
for its texture and shape. However, gooseberry is a lot sweeter and some people
said that it tastes like pineapple. This fruit is an excellent source of
vitamin A, C, B-3, B-1, and B-2. Not only vitamins, it is also a good source
for non-heme iron, calcium, and phosphorus. Some studies found that
gooseberries can be used for a variety of treatments such as malaria, asthma,
hepatitis, dermatitis, and rheumatism (Kusumaningtyas et al, 2015).
How to eat it?
Gooseberry has its leafy outer shell. All
you need to do is to tear the leaf, and eat the edible part just like cherry
tomatoes!
Can you get it in the US?
Yes! In fact, I was so excited when I found
this fruit at my local farmers market! Depending on the season and the
location, gooseberry can be found in your local farmers' market.
There are so many different tropical fruits that are grown
in Indonesia. Some of the highlighted ones on here are either the rarest or the
most popular ones. Fruits and foods, in general, would make it worth a trip to
Indonesia. If it is not on your calendar yet, I hope you get to try some of the
ones that are available in the states. It is always fun to explore new fruits,
and fruits are amazing source for fiber and vitamins!
- - SP
Resources
https://permaculturenews.org/2017/06/29/ground-cherries/
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