Thai Fruit Guide. Where to find. How to eat. How to taste.

 Thailand is definitely the land of plentiful for fruit lovers. Gorgeous tropical fruit greets you on almost every corner.

The country's fertile planes and hot tropical climate means that pretty much anything grows here.

Not only is the fruit cheap but it is also a healthier option than the normal staples of street food.

Snacking on fruit will keep you hydrated whilst exploring temples and other tourists sights in the sweltering heat of Bangkok.

Fruit also plays an important role in Thai cuisine and the famous Somtum ( papaya salad) is well known all over the world.

My favourites in colour, texture and taste are the rambutan, mangosteen and dragon fruit. 

Sensual, Seductive, tantalising are all words that come to mind if I have to describe them.

To find these exquisitely tasting fruits you just need to pay a visit to the nearest market anywhere in Thailand where you will see them on colourful displays. Be adventurous and try the weird looking ones, they all taste delicious.

Here is my collection of  Thai fruit for you to discover.

Mangosteen (Mang-Kut)

It's often called the queen of fruits, due to its "cooling" properties. in contrast to the king of fruits, Durian, with its "heatiness". The husk or exocarp of the Mangosteen is a leathery purple shell which, when opened, reveals the soft white fruit. It is quite delicate and consists of 4 to 8 segments which contain seeds. This fragrant, fleshy fruit is both sweet and tangy.

Rambutan (Ngor)

The fruit of the Rambutan tree is usually bright red. Rambut means hair in Indo-Malay. The Rambutan fruit looks a bit weird, like a red golf ball covered in green Velcro fibres. When you break open the skin it reveals a fleshy translucent fruit containing a large seed. It tastes sweet with a mildly acidic flavour. The best rambutans come from Surat Thani Province where they were first planted in 1926.
Rambutans are also canned and available throughout the world in a sweet syrup.

Durian (Tu-Rian)

You either love durian or you hate it. The Durian weighs around 4 pounds and is thorn- covered.
The Durian is loved by locals but most westerners including me don't like the foul-smelling fruit.
However, Durians are one of the most popular fruits in Thailand and there are several varieties in different regions. These controversial fruits also fetch top dollars in the markets around Southeast Asia.
The raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways, airports and public transportation in Asia.

The late Anthony Bourdain was a lover of the Durian fruit and described tasting the fruit as thus:
"It's can only be described as ........indescribable, something you will either love or despise......Your breath will smell as if you'd been French-kissing your dead grandmother".

Rose Apple (Chom-Poo)

Rose Apples are very common in Thailand. They are bell-shaped and similar in texture to an apple but sweeter.  They are best eaten fresh but also mix nicely with shrimps in a spicy salad.

Banana (Gluay)

There are many types of banana in Thailand.  The most popular are Gluay Horn and Gluay Khai.
They are available year round and are most often eaten when ripe but are also eaten green in dishes like Naem Nuang. Fried banana and dried banana chips are also available as tasty snacks.

Banana tree stalks are used in making Kratongs for Loi Krathong Festival in November. The banana leaves are often used in cooking as in wrapping fish to be steamed or grilled over an open fire. The bright red blossoms of the banana are eaten as a vegetable in salads or even deep fried.

Coconut (Ma-Praow)

Coconuts are the most versatile of fruits. They are actually seeds of the coconut tree.  The meat can be eaten fresh or dried, either as a sweet or in savoury dishes. The water is sweet and tastes great when it is fresh and ice cold.
Coconut milk, which is made from the processing grated coconut and mixing it with warm water is used in Asian cooking. Southern Thai curries always have coconut milk while curries from the Northeast seldom use it. Be sure to also try some delicious coconut ice-cream.

Custard Apple (Noi-Na)

The Custard Apple is sweet but very seedy.  The skin of the ripe fruit is green with many segments. It is said to be an anti-oxidant and will strengthen your ability to fight infection and disease. The fruit looks a lot like a hand grenade and thus the term noi na  in the Thai language.


Plum Mango ( Ma Prang)

This fruit is related to the mango and the entire fruit including the single seed is edible.
The flavour range from sweet to sour and can be quite addictive once you start eating them you can't stop. They are just so delicious.



Guava (Falang)

You won't get ripe guavas in Thailand as the Thai's prefer to eat them green, dipped in salt or sugar mixed with dried chillies. Guavas around here are quite big compared to other countries. You can buy them sliced at the fruit vendors with or without the spicy dips and enjoy them as a snack while you do some sightseeing.

Jackfruit (Kanoon)

The Jackfruit is even bigger than the Durian weighing up to 80 pounds. The Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world. Broken open, the Jackfruit reveals dozens of large seeds covered with a sweet yellow sheath which has a similar taste to pineapple but milder and less juicy.
It is normally eaten raw but can also be dried and added to curries. I haven't tasted this one yet but I am sure it will be a lot better tasting than the Durian.

Jujube

I just love the name of this fruit. The freshly harvested Jujube is often eaten as a snack. The fruit is an edible oval shape. When immature it is smooth green and tastes a little like an apple. It matures into dark red and eventually, it will be wrinkled and look like a small date.
Best eaten when it is the smooth green colour.

Longan (Lam-Yai)

The logan or "dragon eyes" is so named because of the fruit's resemblance to an eyeball when it is shelled. The seed of the fruit is small, round and hard and is closely allied to the lychee.
The Longan is often used in soups, snacks, desserts and also eaten fresh or dried. The seeds of fresh logan can be boiled and eaten and have a distinctive nutty flavour.

Mango (Ma-Muang)

 The taste of sweet mango, coconut milk and sticky rice is just unbeatable and one dessert you must have in Thailand. It is readily available from street markets to little house shops.
There are several cultivars of Mango with some sweeter and some sourer.
Some local shops also have mango ice cream on promotion,
 Unripe mangoes are often used in salads.
Yam Pla Duk Fu is fried fish flakes mixed with and unripe mango salad and is great with a beer on a hot day.

Pineapple (Sappparod)

There is just nothing better than a fresh sweet juicy pineapple on a hot and humid day. Thailand is a large producer of Pineapples for export. You will often see pineapple plantations next to sugar cane plantations as they share common environmental needs.
Pineapple Fried Rice served in pineapple are amongst a long list of creative uses for the Pineapple. Also, don't forget sipping on a Pina Colada on a tropical beach is the ultimate exotic experience.
Pineapples are regarded as an auspicious fruit by locals as they are believed to bring good luck. Traditionally they are used in many ceremonies.

Tamarind

Tamarinds is a vital ingredient in Thai cooking. There are two types of Tamarinds - sour tamarind and sweet tamarind. They both look the same with curved pod-like shapes but with different tastes. Tamarind pods are grown on trees and when they have matured their shell becomes very thin, making it easy to separate from the flesh. Sour tamarinds are used for producing chilly sauce and spicy soups.
The very famous street food Pad Thai is cooked with tamarind sauce. Ripe tamarinds can also be eaten directly from the tree.

Dragon fruit (Goa Mung Gorn)

Dragon Fruit season is always around the end of the rainy season. Then the markets are filled with piles of oddly shaped dragon fruit. The flesh of the most common variety is white and it tastes like a cross between a kiwi and a fig. Dragon fruits come from a cactus plant which originated in South America.  The night blooming flower is supposed to be quite spectacular with a strong sweet fragrance designed to attract bats and moths to pollinate it. The flower blooms for just one night before fading away and is then replaced by the fruit.


Papaya (Ma-La-Kaw)

SomTum - Papaya Salad

Papaya was introduced to Thailand about 200 years ago and is very popular amongst the Thai people.
In Thailand Papaya is synonymous with Som Tum. It is indeed the signature dish of Thailand. Food historians believe the dish originated in Laos and is also very popular in Isaan the northeastern region of Thailand.
The distinctive spicy salad can be ordered at any restaurant or street food vendor.

Starfruit - Carambolas

The Starfruit is sweet, watery and slightly acidic tasting but extremely refreshing. It is shaped like a star and has a yellowish colour and the skin is also edible. The growing season for Starfruit is from October to December and they are widely available at the markets across the country. Starfruit is mostly used together with shrimps in a refreshing salad.

Final Words

I hope after reading this you will feel inspired to go a fruity adventure and discover these delightful tastes for yourself. I have no doubt that you will love them as much as I do.


Greetings from Bangkok
M