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Malaysia's Top Travel Portal |
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Fruits
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Chiku
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Coconut
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The
Ciku fruits are produced in frequent intervals throughout
the year. The fruits are round or oval, about 5 - 10cm
long. Mature fruits have a dull pale to rusty brown thin
skin. When ripe the flesh is yellowish to pinkish brown,
soft, sweet and delicious. Unripe fruits are hard and
unpleasantly astringent. Each fruit has 2- 3 seeds about
1.5 - 2 cm long which are hard, black, shiny and somewhat
flattened. They are easily separated from the flesh.
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Few
people need an introduction to the coconut, which has a
worldwide following due to its widespread use as a
flavoring in candy, ice cream, and sauces. Fresh coconuts
are available year-round in Malaysia, and coconut milk is
present in a variety of culinary treats. The peak season
lasts from October to December. Choose one that's heavy
for its size and that sounds full of liquid when shaken;
avoid those with damp "eyes."
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Durians
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Guava
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"It
smells like hell and tastes like heaven," is a common
description of the durian, the national fruit. This large
green fruit has a hard and spiny exterior containing
several soft, edible segments. Because of its pungent
smell, Malaysians also like to say that eating durian is
"like eating ice cream in a toilet." Despite its
smell, it is by far the most loved fruit in the country,
and negotiations for a single fruit can easily last ten
minutes. Durians are also reputed to be phenomenal
aphrodisiacs.
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Also a
native of tropical America, the guava is known for its
musky aroma and soft, delicious pulp. It has a thin
greenish-yellow skin and a flesh of varying thickness
which may be white, yellow-pink or red. It is popularly
consumed in juice, ice cream, marmalade, and jam, and of
course eaten raw.
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Jackfruit
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Mangosteen
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Those
who have never seen a jackfruit, or Nangka, are often
surprised when they see these hulking, yellow-green fruits
for the first time. They can weight up to 20 Kg, and
inside are many bright yellow segments. They taste lightly
sweet, with a very enticing aroma.
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This
small purple-brown fruit (which is unrelated to the mango)
has tasty white segments inside with a tart, sweet flavor.
The cooling, juicy fruit was so loved by Britain's Queen
Victoria that she offered a reward to anyone who could
import fresh ones to England.
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Pomelo
(Jerunga)
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Papaya
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Though
it looks like a grapefruit, the pomelo's sweet taste is
far closer to that of an orange. It is the largest of the
citrus fruits, and has a thick rind.
It is also known as jerunga.
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The
papaya is oval with a thin, waxy skin; it is
green-turning-to-yellow at maturity, when its juicy sweet
yellow flesh tastes similar to a cantaloupe. The papaya's
flavor peaks out when its skin is 80 percent colored. It
is most commonly eaten fresh, peeled, seeded and cut into
sections. It also can be added to salads, baked and served
as a vegetable, made into sauce, jam, jelly, pickles, or
juice.
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Rambutans
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Starfruit
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Though
the rambutan's hair like spines can look intimidating,
they are actually quite soft, and hide an incredibly sweet
and succulent white fruit. The outside of the fruit is
bright red, and it grows in small bunches from a tree.
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The
name is obvious once you see a starfruit for the first
time. This waxy, four-ridged fruit is one of the best
thirst quenchers around, and it is available almost
anywhere in Malaysia. Its flesh is watery, crunchy, and
sweet.
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