Singapore's lesser-known tropical fruits

From the glorious durian to little-known tamarind, tropical fruit trees once outnumbered the growers in the kampong. Many of the trees are gone now, save for specimens in Botanic Gardens, eco-farms and neighburhood horticulture parks. Thankfully, the fruits can still be found around the island.

1. Chempedak

It looks like jackfruit but smells and tastes like a durian. Sellers tout it as ‘durian jackfruit’.

Sniff the fruit for a warm penetrating scent. If the nibs are spaced out, then the fruit is ripe.

To open, slit round it and tear it apart with both hands. Eat right away to enjoy its robust aroma and firm pulp.

To enjoy it further, boil the seeds in salt water till soft, peel off the outer membrane and enjoy them as a snack afterwards -- it tastes like macadamia nuts.

S$4 per kg. Found at 100 Plus T.D., Tekka Market.

2. Buah Pulasan

Dark red and thorny, Buah Pulasan is easily mistaken for rambutan because of its translucent flesh but there are many differences.

Up close, the Buah Pulasan’s short spikes stick up instead of fall over each other as in rambutans.

They're less juicy and both flesh and seed are edible. Flavor wise, the sweetness mixed with an almond fragrance makes for a superior taste altogether.

To eat it, you'll need to prise them open with your thumbs.

S$3 per kg. Found at 100 Plus T.D., Tekka Market.

3. Jambu

Luscious and curvy -- the jambu tastes as good as it looks -- the fruit has a watery crisp texture with traces of a rose scent.

The best are the rosy-red ones with glossy sheens. Eating it is fuss-free; just wash the fruit, bite off the rough base and swallow the fruit whole.

S$2 per kg. Found at NTUC Toa Payoh, 100 Plus T.D

4. Pomegranate

Often grown by home owners as a landscaping plant.

This fruit was previously ignored but now hyped for its beneficial properties, people consume it raw and its juices bottled as syrups. Eating it can be a bother as the thin pulp has numerous seeds.

To peel, score the rind with a knife. Discard membranes separating the sacs and dig out the ‘rubies’, one handful at a time.

Thai-grown imports dwarf the homegrown variety in appearance and taste and a less speckled skin tells of succulence and freshness.

S$2 per fruit. Found at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market, 100 Plus T.D.

5. Chiku (or Sapodilla)

This aromatic fruit attracts bats, so fruits are wrapped with newspapers while hanging on their branches till commercial growers pick them when they turn green.

To eat the chiku, peel off the skin and slice it into half, it tastes sweet and gives off a faint woody aroma.

S$3 per kg. Found at NTUC Serangoon North, Tekka Market.

6. Soursop

Locals call it ‘angmo liu lian' (durians for caucasians). A prickly fruit with creamy pulp similar to the durian sans the smell and therefore, not too exotic for an angmo’s tastebuds.

When picking look for a fruit with an un-dented skin that feels soft.

The soursop has a sweet-sour taste and is ideal as a fruit juice, included in shaved iced desserts or as a ice-cream topping.

S$6 per kg. Found at Sin Yee Wang Fruit Shop.

7. Custard Apple

Similar to the soursop, this fruit has the same shiny black seeds and white pulp, but it tastes sweeter.

A ripe custard apple will split open with a gentle pressure down its middle and can be eaten off from its skin.

The sugary scent tends to draw flies, so it is picked early and left to ripen indoors.

S$8 per kg. Found at NTUC Toa Payoh Hub.

8. Red Sugar Cane

Called ‘teik chia’ (bamboo cane), red sugar cane is boiled to produce a ‘yin’ (cooling) drink, unlike the green variety which is extracted for its raw juice.

Chop the cane lengthwise so that it fit the size of the pot, clean and boil with water chestnuts and rock sugar.

The drink is ready when the canes split apart and the water resembles tea.

The fruit grows year round and they are harvested once they mature, usually when they reach the height of a man.

S$3 per kg. Found at Tekka Market, Green Circle eco-farm.

9. Guava

A small and hard fruit, which explains how the kampong variety guava earns the name “jambu batu” (stone jambu).

The fragrant variety with a pinkish flesh is best eaten raw, but these species are usually found only on eco-farms and around Pulau Ubin.

Imported guavas are large, seedless and plum powder is often added to the cut pieces as taste enhancer.

S$2 per kg. Found at Toa Payoh Lorong 8 Market, A1 Fruit Shop, Green Circle Eco-farm.

10. Buah Long Long

It tastes like unripe pears and best eaten when still hard.

The local variety has a fibrous seed in the middle and the Indonesia ones are seedless and softer.

In the old days, excess pickings were preserved in yellow saccharin syrup and sold on stick skewers; otherwise, eaten raw with chilli-black sauce dip.

These days, fruit stalls promote them as chilled fresh beverage, a healthier way to consume this fruit.

S$2 per kg. Found at Sin Yee Wang Fruit Shop (fresh fruit), Bayvel Tidbits Store (preserved fruit).

11. Belimbing Assam

This is a ‘fruit vegetable’ used in cooking as it is too sour to eat on its own.

Quarter it up and simmered it in curry for an additional burst of flavor. Or pickled it in sugar and salt to pair well with spicy food.

Occasionally found at Tekka Market.

12. Wild ‘Plum’

These ‘plum blossoms’ laden on branches make passers-by pause and gawk.

Called ‘yu kam’ in Hokkien (English name unknown) and once grew wild, this tree is now a curiosity and cultivated by hobbyists.

The fruit has the astringent taste of nutmeg though not as sharp and some shops sell them as liquorice-preserved tidbits.

Found at a private home, 6 Yew Siang Road (off Pasir Panjang Road). Approach the friendly owner to sample the fruits on the trees.