| FRUITS OF BALI | ||
|---|---|---|
 Also known as sugar apple, this fruit has a lumpy green skin covering masses of sweet, scented white flesh: in most varieties the fruit can easily be divided into two pieces by hand and the creamy flesh eaten with a spoon. Custard apples also form the base for a delicious ice cream. |  The durian announces its presence in the markets with a distinctive, highly pervasive aroma. To Balinese, the stink is a welcome odour, for they regard durian as the king of fruits, a delicacy that is well worth the comparatively high price it commands. | |
 The guava is one of the most popular fruits for snacks, eaten either ripe or when still green dipped in a bit of salt or sugar. In addition to the usual one with white flesh, another variety is bright red when peeled. Originally came from Spain. |  The jackfruit is the shape of a large melon. The fruit has a grey skin, and contains a great number of pips or kernels which are about the size of a pigeon's egg. These, when roasted, taste like chestnuts. The fruit is yellow and succulent, of a sweet taste and powerful smell. |  |  |  The mangosteen has a thick, dark-red skin, inside which are creamy white segments with a sweet, slightly tart flavor; as a general rule, the more segments a mangosteen has, the fewer seeds one will find. |  Originally a native of Mexico, the papaya has been grown in Southeast Asia since the 16th century and the long yellow or orange fruit, rich in Vitamins A and C, also aids digestion. The ripe fruit is often eaten with a few drops of freshly squeezed lime juice and when blended also makes a refreshing drink. |  Ruby red and covered with fine green-tipped hairs, the rambutan is one of the most attractive tropical fruits and also one of the most delicious when eaten at the peak of ripeness between May and September when it is most plentiful. Rambutans are noted for their sweetness |  The salak, or snake fruit, comes attractively packaged in its own distinctively patterned, leathery hide. The dark-brown skin is tough, but surprisingly thin and easy to peel. Inside you'll find a light-tan fruit divided into three or more lobes, usually with a single seed in the largest section. Salaks are not juicy which makes them especially convenient to peel and eat. The fruit has the firmness of a carrot and a distinctively agreeable flavour quite unlike any other fruit |  Somewhat resembling a small brown mango in shape, the sapodilla is eaten when ripe. After the peel is removed, the firm reddish-brown flesh is sliced into pieces which are often carved into decorative shapes. |  Like an apple, the starfruit can be eaten skin and all, but you may want to cut away the slightly tougher ridges of the five-sided fruit before you slice it. The taste is slightly tart, but pleasant and refreshing. In Bali, the fruit grows nearly everywhere and there are many different starfruits that vary in size and sweetness. |  After being peeled it is generally eaten fresh, though boiled in water it also makes a refreshing juice. Other, more sour varieties of tamarind are used in various cooked dishes for flavoring |
