Star Fruit

Star Fruit

Star fruit or Carambola (Averrhoa carambola) is a local fruit famous in Southeast Asia region, south pacific and eastern parts of Asia. The fruit is generally shaped pentagon, this is could probably the reason why it is called star fruit.

Scientific classification:

• Kingdom    : Plantae
• Division     : Magnoliophyta
• Class          : Magnoliopsida
• Order          : Oxalidales
• Family       : Oxalidaceae
• Genus        : Averrhoa
• Species      : A. carambola

Read More

Jackfruit

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is another kind of tropical fruit that native to South and Southeast Asia. Outer fruit skin, pointy-pointy-shaped, green, with white flesh when young, then turns into yellow when ripe.

This tree is widely cultivated in tropical regions of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Jackfruit is also found in East Africa (Uganda, Tanzania and Mauritius) as well as throughout Brazil and Caribbean nations such as Jamaica. In a tropical area like Southeast Asia region, the tree can be found from low land until 1,300 above sea level.  This fruit can be found anytime, because jackfruit is not a seasonal fruit.

Jackfruit is very sweet and tasty, when the jackfruit opened, you will find the bright yellow pods (when ripe) which can be eaten raw or cooked. When unripe its flesh is green, and it can be made into various delicious vegetable dishes.

Scientific Classification :

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Division: Magnoliophyta
• Class: Magnoliopsida
• Order: Rosales
• Family: Moraceae
• Genus: Artocarpus
• Species: A. heterophyllus

Young fruit
The young jackfruit used for preparing various vegetable dishes, in Indonesia young jackfruit cooked with coconut milk became a very popular dishes named Gudeg. In India and South asia region, the young jackfruit used to replace meat in various kind of popular dishes especially curries. In Thailand especially on their northern part, young jackfruit treated as salad named kanun.

Jackfruit

Ripe fruit
The ripe of jackfruit can enjoyed directly without any additional cooking process. But it also can be used as raw material for various cakes, fresh drinks, ice cream also crispy chip.

The Wood
A jackfruit trees begin to bear fruit at the age of 5-10 years, and will survive until 20-30 years. As a chronic type of tree, the  wood is quite hard and used for various purposes. The most popular is using as raw material of furnitures.

Food Value
According to USDA National Nutrient data base here is nutritional content every 100 gram of jackfruits. Energy : 95 Kcal, Carbohydrates : 23.5 g, Protein : 1.72 g, Total Fat : 0.64 g, Cholesterol : 0 mg, Dietary Fiber : 1.5 g,  Folates : 24 µg, Niacin : 0.920 mg, Pyridoxine : 0.329 mg, Riboflavin : 0.055 mg, Thiamin : 0.105 mg, Vitamin A : 110 IU, Vitamin C : 13.7 mg, Vitamin E : 0.34 mg, Sodium : 3 mg, Potassium : 303 mg, Calcium : 34 mg, Iron : 0.60 mg, Magnesium : 37 mg, Manganese : 0.197 mg, Phosphorus : 36 mg, Phosphorus : 21 mg, Selenium : 0.6 mg, Zinc : 0.42 mg.

Read More

Salak (Salacca zalacca)

Salak (Salacca zalacca) also named as Snake fruit is a tropical fruit native of Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Salak is a kind of palm tree (family Arecaceae) with fruit that can be eaten without any further process. Salak is a kind of palm-shaped shrubs or barely trunked, prickly, growing into dense clumps and strong.

It is a very short-stemmed palm, with leaves up to 6 metres (20 ft) long; each leaf has a 2-metre long petiole with spines up to 15 centimeters (5.9 in) long, and numerous leaflets.


Shape of the fruit generally triangular rather round or oval upside down, pointed at the base and rounded at the ends, 2.5 to 10 cm long, covered by scales yellow brown to red brown shiny composed like tiles, with many small spines are easily broke up at the end of each scale. Wall fruit center (sarkotesta) thick fleshy, creamy yellow to whitish; taste sweet, and sour, seeds 1-3 grains, brown to black, hard, 2-3 cm in length.

Salak fruit popular as table fruit. But other than eaten fresh, Salak also be made as preserves, pickles, canned, or packaged as chips.

Scientific classification:

•      Kingdom          : Plantae
•      Division           : Magnoliophyta
•      Class                 : Liliopsida
•      Order                : Arecales
•      Family              : Arecaceae
•      Genus               : Salacca
•      Species             : Salacca zalacca

Varieties:

There are more 30 Salak cultivars grown throughout Indonesia. Two popular cultivars are Salak Pondoh from Yogyakarta province and Salak Bali from Bali Island.

Salak Pondoh is popular among Indonesian consumers because of the intensity of its aroma, which can seem overripe even before full maturation Market price of this variety is around USD 1.10-1.30 per kg.

On the other hand, Salak Bali is a popular with both locals and tourists because of its lighter aroma. It feels starchy when eaten. The price of Salak Bali is about USD 1.50-3.00 per kg in Bali markets.

Harvesting:

Salak fruits mature five to seven months after pollination. The tree produces fruits all year round but usually peak around May and December in Indonesia. Harvesting takes place at a fruit age of 5-7 months. Salak usually harvested before they are fully ripe, by severing the bunch using a reaping knife.

In hot and humid climates, fruit will stay fresh in room temperature for a week after picking. Below 100C, fruits last up to 3 weeks.

Food Value :

Each 100 gram of Salak contains : 77.0 Kcal Calories, Protein 0.40 g, 20.90 g carbohydrates, 28 mg calcium, phosphorus 18 mg, iron 4.20 mg, 0.04 mg Vitamin B, Vitamin C 2.00 mg, and 78 mg water .

Read More