[I ate] Rare tropical fruit

Rare Tropical Fruit Haul from Fruit Auction

All of these came from a fruit auction at the annual Feast of the Senses fruit festival in Innisfail (FNQ, Australia), and it is one of the most fun ways to try rare tropical stuff. You don’t realise how many strange durian relatives and jungle fruits exist until you see a table full of them.

Durio dulcis (red durian) was the strangest one by far. Instead of the usual creamy custard-onion taste of Durio zibethinus, this one tasted almost like a weird dessert cocktail. The best way I can describe it is mint + chocolate + alcohol, like an after-dinner liqueur mixed with funky tropical fruit. It still has that durian richness, but the flavour is way more sharp, complex, and “fermented” tasting, almost like it’s already halfway to becoming a liquor. Definitely less smooth and custardy than zibethinus, and more intense and punchy. A bucket list item and a must try.

Snake fruits (Salacca) were also one of the highlights. They look intimidating but taste really interesting and addictive, kind of pineappley, and juicy, with a tangy bite. The Thai vs Bali types were noticeably different too, one being more sour, pungent and juicy while the other leaned crunchy/less pungency.

Cempedak is basically jackfruit’s more intense cousin: softer flesh, way stronger aroma, and a flavour that’s like banana + durian + bubblegum. It’s honestly one of those fruits that smells like it shouldn’t taste good, but then you eat it and immediately want more. It’s also commonly made into a dessert, called cempedak goreng which is basically fried cempedak, it’s really good.

Dabai (Canarium odontophyllum) originally from Borneo, one of the weirdest in a cool way. It’s less like a fruit and more like a fatty savoury snack, almost like a buttery avocado-olive hybrid. You have to soak them in hot water for 15 mins before eating.

And Pandanus conoideus (buah merah / red fruit) is just straight up alien-looking. Bright red, oily, and earthy, and you have to process into paste/oil rather than eat like a normal fruit. Really unique, and not something you see outside PNG/Indonesia much.

List of fruits I bought/won:

Durio dulcis (Red durian)

Durio zibethinus (Common durian / normal durian)

Salacca wallichiana (Thai salak / snakefruit)

Salacca zalacca (Bali salak / snakefruit)

Garcinia humilis (Achacha)

Garcinia cambogia (Malabar tamarind)

Annona cherimola (Cherimoya)

Annona squamosa (Sugar apple / sweetsop)

Artocarpus integer (Cempedak)

Artocarpus altilis (Breadfruit)

Citrus maxima (Pomelo)

Citrus hystrix (Kaffir lime / makrut lime)

Canarium odontophyllum (Dabai / Sarawak olive)

Pandanus conoideus (Red fruit / buah merah)

Metroxylon sagu (Sago palm fruit / dragon egg fruit)

Pouteria sapota (Mamey sapote)

Manilkara zapota (Sapodilla)

Nephelium lappaceum (Rambutan)

Nephelium mutabile (Pulasan)

Psidium guajava (Guava)

Selenicereus undatus (Dragon fruit / pitaya)

Carica papaya (Papaya)

Bambusa sp. (Bamboo shoot)

Mangifera indica (Mango)

Sandoricum koetjape (Santol)

Red durian is super rare here in Malaysia and usually on the Borneo side. Your very lucky to be able to try that.

Breadfruit is fascinating, it looks prehistoric and cooks amazingly well. I like to slice it up and simmer in coconut milk or fry it in peanut oil like potatoes.

I think about this all the time. I want to go to tropical international places and try all their delicious fresh fruits 🤤🤤

We need to see the inside of other fruits other than the durian 😑