When I travel I don’t only want to see new places but I also love to try new foods and experience unique tastes that I won’t encounter anywhere else. Here in Indonesia, there is plenty of mouth-watering distinctive fruits that you must try! here is your guide to encounter our favorite must-try exotic fruits:
Manggis
You may know this as Mangosteen, and in fact, this is one of my favorite fruits; it’s juicy, sweet, and fresh, everything you’re looking for in a fruit. Manggis has a round shape with an upside-down flower shape on top, and its deep purple skin may be intimidating, but it shouldn’t scare you. There’s a method that makes it easy to open it easy, which is to use both of your palms to squish the fruit, and it’ll crack open up and reveal its juicy white fruits that look somewhat similar to an orange.
This exotic fruit is rich in powerful antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, and may offer many health benefits. It also provides Xanthosis, which beliefs results in anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and diabetes, and so on. Thus, this fruit is not just delicious but also provides varieties of health benefits.
Nangka
Nangka, or in English term called ‘Jackfruit’ grows in tropical areas of Southeast Asia, Brazil, and Africa. This popular fruit in Indonesia, and it is low in calories too! Jackfruit is large and has spiky skin with a tone of yellow or green. This fruit has a sweet taste, but it can also be used for amazing savory dishes, such as Gudeg.
In Jogja, locals create their well-known traditional dish called Gudeg. It’s made with young ripe Jackfruit, which is then stewed for hours and palm sugar and coconut milk, as well as additional flavorings such as shallots, garlic, and much more. Gudeg is amazing as a side dish as well as with opor ayam (chicken in coconut milk), eggs and ofcourse Rice. Gudeg has a dominating sweet taste but with all the combinations from the other side dish it is the perfect meal. For more information about Gudeg click here.
Jackfruit is also the perfect replacement for meat, you can make all sorts of things such as pulled jackfruit burgers or vegan tacos. Jackfruit is perfect to mimic meat as it has a similar taste and texture when prepared properly. But if you aren’t fond of this, you can always enjoy the fruit on its own!
Salak
As you may know it as snake fruit, Salak is Indonesias native fruit, although now produced in other parts of southeast Asia. The name comes from its scaly prickly skin, although behind its unappealing skin reveals a pale fruit that’s sweeter than honey yet acidic, and the two flavors complement each other.
Growing up in Bali, I have always been familiar with this fruit, and I incredibly love it. Its flavor is addictive and it’s my perfect go-to snack. Although Indonesians will warn you not to overeat of this fruit, it will cause constipation. Moreover, this fruit is also rich in potassium and pectin, essential for the brain’s health and development. It has other nutrients too and has antidiarrheal, so Indonesians warn you not to consume too much!
Rambutan
The name is derived from Malay word, rambut, for ” hair” since the fruit has a hairy shell. Rambutan has a sweet and creamy taste, but apart from that, it is packed with nutrition. Its closely related to the lychee, longan, pulasan, and mamoncillo. It has a similar taste to lychee and logan; it also has a similar texture. Rambutan is soft and sweet but be aware that the delicious white aril coats the seed. The Rambutan skin is peculiar, but once you remove the coat, you are blessed with a delicious fruit that isn’t as intimidating or peculiar as you’d suspect. In a way, you could call this the Indonesian version of a Lychee.
Durian
The infamous durian or often called the king of fruits. This fruit is highly debatable; some people may love it while others despise it. Durian is a delicacy in Asia, although foreigners often find it strange. Durian has a distinctive smell that may make you want to refuse it. For some, it has a strong odor and distasteful, and this causes some places to ban durians, such as certain hotels, as many people hate the smell.
Behind its scaly skin and its pungent smell, it has a creamy sweet fruit that you can easily pull apart. Its fruit is lovely and creamy and is worth trying! Would you dare try this fruit? Let us know your opinion down in the comment section!
Here in Indonesia, you get to try all these unique fruits, and don’t worry; these fruits aren’t just friendly on your wallet but also your body! So pack yourself with fantastic nutrition and unforgettable tastes! Dare to try these unique fruits?
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