Tropical fruits in Bali
Last year a few monthes before Jevon was born, Ika and I went to a fruit stall and indulged. The choice of good local fruit is amazing and its so cheap. Here is some of the selection.
Visitors to Bali are often unaware of the delights that await at the local fruit market. Odd looking fruits and strange names can put people off being as adventurous as they might like to be so here is a quick guide to some tropical fruits found in Bali.
Manggis
Has a deep red color and centimeter thick fiberous skin which is medium soft. Can be opened by clasping between hands and squeezing revealing white fleshy fruit. Sometimes has a stone.
A kilo will cost 5,000 to 6,000rp
Jeruk (orange)
Bright green skin may throw off some tourists who are used to seeing oranges with an orange skin. These are ripe and tasty.
A kilo of jeruk will cost around 5,000rp
Pepaya (papaya)
Pepaya or breast fruit grows from a tree and hangs in bunches from the main trunk. A ripe pepaya has gone from green to having mostly yellow / orange color. A thin skin and soft interior can be cut with knife into long slices. Seeds can be easily scraped off interior.
Pepayas are sold for around 2,500rp each for small ones and 4,000 to 5,000rp for large ones.
Rambutan
Bright red hairy skin with a medium soft skin. Can be opened with fingers to reveal a translucent fruit. Has a stone in the middle.
A kilo will cost around 2,000rp.
Duku
Looks like a bunch of birds eggs and has a dry, thin skin which can be peeled off to reveal a tasty fruit in long segments. Sometimes has a small stone, sometimes not.
A kilo will cost around 5,000rp.
Wani
Looks like a giant mango. Thin green skin and soft fleshy interior. Can be sliced or peeled with a knife. Flesh is juicy, tangy and succulent. Flat, mango-like central stone. Only found in Bali.
Wani are sold for around 1,000 to 1,500rp each.
Salak (snake fruit)
Salak have a brown skin that is rough and dry. Can be easily peeled with fingers to reveal a milky colored fruit that is is 3-4 segments and has no stone. Usually tangy / sweet. Can be sour.
Some Indonesians believe eating salak will make you constipated.
A kilo of salak is around 7,000rp
Pisang (banana)
Small and tasty the bananas here are thick and short. Yellow bananas are ripe, green ones are not yet ready.
Bananas are sold by the piece and 1 banana is 500rp.
Kelengkeng
Smaller in size and darker in color than Duku. Kelengkeng has a thin skin that can be opened with fingers revealing a single, round fruit with a central stone.
A kilo is around 6,000rp.
Melon
Same as in the west. Light brown skin with green interior. Can be cut with knife.
A melon will cost around 8,000rp and a watermelon (red flesh) will cost 5,000 to 7,000rp.
Nanas (pineapple)
Pineapples seem to be all over the place and are popular for beach goers, the vendor cutting it like a giant lollipop. Small ones are especially tasty on the beach.
A pineapple at the market will cost around 1,500 to 2,000rp.
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These prices are not set in stone. You buy more and negotiate, the price will come down. You act like a tourist with a lot of money, the price will go up. In the higher elevation you will see strawberries and other cool climate fruits.