THERE ARE MORE THAN 29 local fruit that normally grown commercially or traditionally in Malaysi for all to enjoy during the fruit season. I enjoyed many local Fruits of Malaysia since than as an agronomist expert on many crops. Actually not only in Malaysia as a popular tourist destination well-known for its sandy beaches, balmy weather and amazing food, but owing to its location near the equator and lots of rainfall throughout the year, the tropical climate creates the perfect setting for the flourish of sweet, juicy and succulent fruits. Some local fruits are seasonal, while others are also easily available throughout the year. We have durians, mangoes, rambutans, pomelo, langsat and mangosteen which appear seasonally. Non-seasonal fruits which can be enjoyed the whole year round are fruits like papaya, guava, pineapple and banana. However, these local fruits are generally inexpensive and can easily be available at the local supermarket, night market, roadside stall, anywhere during their peak season. For me if you are a tourist visiting Malaysia for the first time here is a handy list for you to have your first introduction to Malaysian fruits to enjoy anf try. This article in "Anim Agriculture Technology" blog I will share my knowledge about 10 most popular local fruit in Malaysia for this matter.
7. JAMBU AIR or ROSE APPLE
This Jambu Air or Rose apple (Syszygium samarangense sinonim S. aqueum) was not very popular gron by commercial farmers in Malaysia but commercially grown in Taiwan. For me that able to visit 4 commercial jambu air farm at Maran and Temerloh in Pahang, Asahan in Melaka and Segamat in Johor wrote about this fruit in my Anim Agro Technology blog. Some local consumer called it watery rose apple, water apple, or bell fruit. More commonly known as 'Jambu air' amongst the locals in which these fruits are usually bell-shaped. It has a nice crunch when bitten into, and somewhat sweet. This very Malaysian fruit is very much like an apple in many aspects, including its waxy skin, hence its name. It has been said that the reddest and sweetest water apples come from Sekinchan, a small fishing village located in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. Water apples usually have two fruiting seasons per year, May to September and November to March.
8. POMELO OR LIMAU BALI
Pomelo (Citrus grandis) are popular crop grown ini Malaysia for fresh market and Chinese Festival Celebration. Reported that an area of 1,022 hectare producing for 13,419 metric tons in 2023. Among popular variety grown in Malaysia are PO55 and PO 56 respectively. The Pomelo fruit comes from the citrus family and is the largest of them all – roughly the size of a small football. Known as Chinese grapefruit, it has a white or red juicy flesh, with a thick green or yellow outer rind. The pomelo is the most popular local fruit in Perak, Ipoh, especially those planted in Tambun Valley. This is thanks to the location of these farms which are surrounded by limestone hills in the area, which are rich in minerals for the flourishing of these pomelo trees. The pomelo fruit is very much sought-after, especially during the Lunar New Year period, as the Chinese believe that the fruit is a sign of prosperity and good fortune. Pomelo are eaten as fresh fruit, homemade product and others.
9. STARFRUIT air BELIMBING
Starfruit or locally called Belimbing (Averhoa carambola) are one of the popular local fruits for domestic and export. Malayia recorded as one of the productive starfruit exporters in the word for many years especially to Europe and middle East market. From my experience in starfruit planting reported that there are 428 hectare planted in 2023 producing 6,773 metric tons of fresh fruit. Selangor, Perak and Pahang are 3 states planted more starfruit. The three top varieties grown in Malaysia are B10, B17 and the latest variety known as Bintang Mas (released by MARDI) in 2019. This is a fruit native to Malaysia, and its name is attributed to the fact that when cut horizontally, each slice is shaped like a star. There are two distinct varieties of starfruit: one is a light green that has a salty taste, while the other is yellow with a sweet taste. When bitten into, the fruit is crisp in texture and can be eaten together with its waxy skin. The starfruit has its seasons, which is usually between April to June and October to December. I trained more than 50 activist and agronomist of an international participant as Malaysia had the most advance starfruit agronomic technologies in the world.
10. CIKU or SAPODILLA FRUIT
Ciku (Manikara achras Mill or Manikara sapota Linn) known asa Sapodilla fruit English) and (Indonesia) are rarely grown as large commercial farm in Malaysia. From my observation in which a totl of 249 hectares of ciku grown in Malaysia for 2023 producing about 1,066 metric tons. Recorded by my articles that among popular ciku variety grown in Malaysia include Ciku Jantung (CH62) , Ciku Subang (CH63) dan Ciku Mega or Ciku CH 19 (not registered). This sapodilla fruit, or more commonly known to the locals as ciku is not as common as the other tropical fruit listed above, but it is one of the sweetest fruits you can find here in Malaysia. At first glance, it has the appearance of a small potato with fine hairs, but beneath that brown skin is a sweet flesh that can taste like honey. The ciku trees only bear fruits twice a year and are usually available in March and November. Should you happen to visit Malaysia during these times, look out for roadside stalls in remote villages where the ciku is mostly found. This article devided in three segments namely Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 respectively. Thanks...
M Anem,
Agronomist Expert,
Melaka,
Malaysia.
(September 2024).
Posted from
Taman Desaru Utama,
Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi,
Johor.
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