Marang

Photo: flickr user ~MVI~

About

The marang is a round to oblong fruit weighing about 1 kg native to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. The flesh is similar to the jackfruit but lighter in color and generally softer.The arils are white and about the size of a grape, each with a small seed inside; the seeds are edible after they have been boiled or roasted.

Information

Other names: Tarap

Physical Description

The Marang is usually shaped imperfect round or oblong shape. Marangs exterior part is covered broad and round spines with a mixture of green, yellow and brown shades. This fruit is usually brittle and hard. It becomes softer when it matures.

Colors: Green, yellow and brown.

Tasting Notes

Flavors: Sweet

Mouthfeel: Crunchy, Juicy, Fresh

Food complements: Cinnamon, Brandy

Beverage complements: Gin

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: august, september, opctober

Choosing: Look for a fruit with a slight yellowish-brown color. It should give a strong and pungent scent. Try giving the fruit a short massage by squeezing it delicatly. If the texture feels soft and mushy to the touch then it is ripe enough to eat.

Buying: As it's an exotic fruit of Southeast Asia it should be bought in that area on fruit stands, transporting this fruit makes it spoil so it isn't preferable to be bought in other regions of the world.

Procuring: The Marang tree is up to twenty five feet tall and is propagated through its seeds. This fruit doesn't fall down so it has to be picked from the tree in order to consume it.

Preparation and Use

The Marang fruit is supposed to be opened by cutting the rind into half and slowly pulling them apart. That reveals a yellow and white interior. Marang's seeds, which are the size of marbles, are also edible. After eating, just gather the seeds in a clean container and rinse them with clean water. Then put them under the heat of sun. When they are dry they can be roasted on a pan without oil until it turns slightly brown.