Roy Cruise sent me an email asking where to find chempedak (Artocarpus integer), salak (Salacca zalacca) and gandaria (Bouea macrophylla) in Thailand. A friend of his in Cavite, Philippines, had asked him to look for the said fruit trees but he has not been able to find them in Mae Hong Son, where he lives. "I was wondering if you had any idea where I may find them?" he asked.
Chempedak, which Thais call champada, is grown in backyard gardens in southern Thailand. Also known as Artocarpus integrifolia, it belongs to the same genus as the jackfruit, but it is more seasonal than the latter. At first glance its fruit looks like jackfruit, but while the jackfruit is barrel- or pear-shaped, chempedak is cylindrical and usually smaller with thinner rind. What's more, it has a smooth skin, with less latex than jackfruit. When ripe it is yellowish to brownish to orange green in colour, and emits a strong odour which, like the durian, is unpleasant only to non-connoisseurs. The flesh, which is yellow or orange and easily detached from the skin and core, is sweet and mushy, and tastes somewhat like a mixture of mango and durian.
When chempedak is in season, from June to August, it is prominent and very popular in local markets in the South. In Phuket and Phangnga, vendors selling fried banana (kluay khaek) are likely to also have fried chempedak. Its fleshy perianth, or edible part, with the seed intact, is dipped in rice flour and deep-fried. The seed when cooked has a sweetish and nutty flavour.
Seasonal offering: Chempedak is grown in backyard gardens in southern Thailand. Photo: Nalinee Thongtham
Chempedak is usually grown from seed derived from trees with desirable qualities, or by budding or grafting on seedling rootstocks. It needs partial shade and thrives best in well-drained fertile soil, in regions without a distinct dry season. Trees grown from seed start to bear fruit when they are three to six years old. Depending on variety and climate, the fruit takes three to six months to mature.
In the past Mr Cruise and his Filipino friend would have better luck finding salak in Indonesia and Malaysia, where it is widely cultivated. However, growers in Surat Thani are now successfully growing it. During a trip to the South in June, my husband brought back newly harvested salak which he bought from a roadside stall in Surat Thani's Chaiya district. He said the fruit stall was alongside those selling salted duck eggs for which Chaiya is famous. Harvest, however, is probably still limited, as I have yet to see the fruit being sold in Bangkok.
Salak is commonly known as snake fruit, as the blackish brown scaly skin looks like that of a snake. I call it Indonesian salak, not just because it was in Bali where I first tasted it years ago, but also to distinguish it from Salacca wallichiana, which is increasingly being called salak. Known in Thai as sala or rakum, Salacca wallichiana is grown in Chanthaburi, Trat, Chumphon and Rayong provinces. The local sala is obovoid in shape with orange-brown, juicy flesh, while the Indonesian salak is round to ellipsoid with creamy white flesh that is exceptionally firm and crisp. Unripe fruit is sour and astringent, but when fully ripe it is sweet and tastes like a combination of apple, pineapple and banana.
Each salak fruit has three seeds, which germinate readily in a moist, shady place. The seeds must be germinated immediately or within a week after they have been taken from the fruit, as they quickly lose their viability. Plant grown from seed starts flowering three to four years after sowing. However, this kind of palm is not for the ordinary garden. Although it is relatively small, it is very spiny and grows in compact clumps formed by successive branching at the base.
Meanwhile, the best place to find gandaria is the national agricultural fair (Kaset Fair) held in the grounds of Kasetsart University every first week of February. Plant nursery owners bring the latest hybrids of fruit trees to the fair, and each year gandaria is among the plants prominently featured.
Gandaria, known as maprang in Thai, is an excellent shade tree with diminutive mango-like fruit. Although it was attractive, the fruit of the old variety (Bouea oppositifolia, also known as Bouea microphylla) never gained the universal appeal of the mango. Smaller than your big toe, it was juicy but acidic, and literally just skin and seed, with just a thin layer of flesh between them.
This changed when Bouea macrophylla was introduced some years ago. The fruit of the new cultivar is not only the size of a hen's egg, but it is also sweeter with more flesh. It was no wonder the tree caused a sensation among orchard growers and gardening hobbyists when it first appeared at the Kaset Fair, and has been among the best-sellers since. Gandaria thrives best in well-drained fertile soil. It can be grown from seed but trees sold by nurserymen have been propagated through marcotting or grafting. Whether grown from seed or vegetatively, the tree needs some shade for several months after planting. To hasten the growth rate, add decomposed animal manure and urea to the soil every six months during the first few years. Change to a fertiliser high in phosphorus and potassium when the tree is big or old enough to bear fruit, usually after two to three years if grafted and five years if grown from seed.
Because it is spiny and therefore difficult to handle, I don't think the Indonesian salak will make an appearance at the Kaset Fair any time soon. However, many different kinds of trees are sold at the fair and if you are in luck you might also find chempedak.
Email nthongtham@gmail.com.
Easy to find: Gandaria, known in Thai as 'maprang'. The tree is sold every year at the Kaset Fair. Photos: Normita Thongtham
