The Fruits of Bali
Rambutan. Mangosteen. Durian. With a roll of the “rrrrr”, the names of these Southeast Asian fruits are deliciously fun to articulate. They’re also deeply satisfying to eat. You have to work to get to their sweet spots.
One of the joys of moving abroad is exposing your taste buds to new flavors. For me, discovering Bali’s colorful fruits has been one of the culinary highlights of living on this island.
Here’s a sampling of Bali’s tropical fruits.
- Durian – this is, without a doubt, Bali’s most controversial fruit. Some people love it. Others find it offensive. Known as the “stinky fruit”, it is banned from many hotel rooms because of its lingering odor. Despite its off-putting smell, durian (mainly from Malaysia and Thailand) sells for big bucks in places like Singapore.To get to the fruit, you need a sharp knife to crack through the seams of a hard, spikey exterior. The edible parts come in pods. Most people don’t eat the entire durian fruit but rather one or two of the pods as the flavor is quite overpowering. The consistency is surprisingly creamy, which explains why it’s often used in desserts and ice-cream. The flavor is hard to describe…for me there was a distinct hint of garlic. Creamy garlic is how I’d describe it. Not really my cup of tea. But it is an incredibly nutritious fruit rich in fiber that is packed with vitamins B and C.
- Rambutan – this is one of my favorite fruits on the island – and not just because it’s got a red-hot hairy exterior! When you crack through a rambutan’s spikey shell, you’re met with a shiny translucent nugget of sweetness that looks and tastes a lot like a lychee fruit. Rich in fiber and vitamin C, it’s not only healthy but also tasty.
- Mangosteen – this is perhaps the most fun fruit to eat because like the unboxing trend, there is an element of surprise. To get to the fruit you have to make a hole in the purple shell of the exterior and then remove some mushy, fleshy parts before you get to the white edible section. It’s like a fruit within a fruit. The taste is hard to describe but many have said it tastes like a lychee combined with a peach, strawberry and pineapple. It can also be a little sour. Bottom line: it’s sweet/sour goodness. It’s also good at fighting wrinkle-inducing free radicals because of its high level of unique antioxidants.
- Salak or “Snake Fruit” – this fruit is truly native to Indonesia only. The fruits, which grow in clusters at the bottom of a palm tree, got their nickname because of their brown scaly skin, which is reminiscent of a snake. Easy to peel, salak tastes a little bit like an apple without the tartness and crispness. The fruits contain a large amount of Beta-Carotene so they’re a good alternative to carrots.
- Dragon Fruit – this fuchsia fruit wins the prize for being the most colorful of the lot. While not big on taste (it’s rather bland IMO) it makes for a gorgeous pop of color on a fruit plate and a good filler for smoothies. The fruit originally comes from Central America but is now grown in Bali. It’s low on calories and high on fiber. Win/win.
Passion Fruit – I had my first taste of a Balinese passion fruit when my son brought some back from his school in the jungle. I felt as though he had discovered a gold mine! The fruit’s perfect balance of sweet and sour has made it one of my favorites as well as a staple for breakfast. According to a shop owner who sources her passion fruits from Tabanan, they’re tastiest when their exteriors are a little wrinkly. Being a middle-aged woman, that made me love the fruit even more.
Bali Pomelo – this citrus fruit is similar to a grapefruit but larger and less juicy. Its flesh comes in two colors: pink and white. The pink ones are sweeter and easier to eat on their own whereas the white ones are often mixed with other fruits to make a salad. It is rich in vitamin C but, like grapefruits, can have negative effects on people taking prescription drugs like anti-coagulants and drugs to control high blood-pressure.
- Bananas – There are reportedly more than 1000 varieties of bananas in the world. I obviously haven’t tried them all but what I can say with certainty is that the small bananas on the island of Bali known as “pisang mas” are among the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. Also known as “lady fingers”, the dwarfish bananas are often dipped into a batter and deep fried into a dessert called “pisang goreng”, which translates to “yummy”.
- Mangoes – these fruits which can be found in many places around the world, are among the most popular in Bali. For good reason. They’re colorful, deliciously sweet and cheap. Often made into smoothies, they offer a burst of vitamins C and A.
There are many other fruits in Bali to try that I didn’t list like papaya and jackfruit because I’m not much of a fan. The best thing to do when visiting the island is to stop by one of the roadside markets selling fruits and load up on anything that looks interesting. You’ll have no shortage of things to tickle your taste buds!
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