Top 5 Malaysian Fruits

1. DURIAN

Durian is called the ‘king of fruits’ by locals and, at first glance,it is not hard to see why this hard-shelled, thorny green fruit earned the name. It does not help that it emits a strong rotting smell– we kid you not! In fact, many tourists are turned off by the prospect of the fruit itself simply because of its prickly outer shell and overwhelmingscent. However once past the thick, inflexible crust, you will find fat golden-brown seeds covered with juicy, creamy flesh that tastes at once rich and sweet.

2. MANGOSTEEN

Just as durian is king of the fruits in Kuala Lumpur, mangosteen is known as its consort and queen. The fruit is divided into three sections: its smooth, tough, thickouter skin is a deep royal purple and is easy to peel once penetrated.Just beneath this surface is the white fruit that is sweet, moist and sometimes a little sour.Past the flesh are the very bitter seeds.It boasts a wealth of health benefits such ashigh antioxidant content, immune-boosting vitamin C, and even anti-inflammatory properties.

3. RAMBUTAN

The hairy rambutan fruit looks a little strange at first glance. A bright red,medium-sized round fruit with a dense growth of thick black, pale red or green fibres all over, its easy-to-peel outer skin covers an incredibly sweet and juicy white fruit. It takes some skill to peel the skin away from the fruit and seed, (tip – use your fingernails) but once you do, you are rewarded with honey-flavoured flesh that never overwhelms your taste buds.

4. LANGSAT

The golden yellow langsat fruit, which originates in Peninsular Malaysia, is small in size (between two to five centimetres in diameter)and round, with an almost paper-thin shell. Beneath its outer skin is fibrous, translucent flesh that is sweet and sectioned into five distinct parts.Its seeds are very bitter. so be sure not to accidently suck on them. The fruit’s texture is a little sticky and sometimes leaves a viscous gel-like layer on the tongue, but the luscious fruit is certainly hard to forget.

5. CEMPEDAK

The same genus as the jackfruit, the outer shell of the seasonal cempedak resembles green durian fruit, minus the thick thorns. Once its outer skin is split in half to reveal its inner contents, you will find golden orange fruit that can be eaten raw or cooked. Locals love to dip the striped off fruit flesh in a flour mixture and deep fry it in oil, resulting in a popular crispy tea time treat, while its seeds can be roasted and eaten as snacks.