by Hi friends, this fruit is so awesome, I just can’t wait to tell you this.
Let me introduce you the “Kesusu“, the strangest but coolest fruit of Borneo island. It has other names such as Karon, Buruni and Ematak. According to the guide, Kesusu belongs to Jackfruit family (Anacardiaceae), a type of latex plant. Its scientific name is Prainea limpato.
Isn’t Kesusu look like an exotic fruit from outer space? The edible part is the protruding seeds in orange color. The seeds are soft and loosely embedded in the fruit and easy to pull out.
The surface of the seed is oily. The pulp tastes sweet with a bit of sour. Nice..
The ripen Kesusu is in orange and yellow colors. It really looks like a star. This kind of funky fruit should be a superstar fruit of Borneo, so hard to believe that I never see this fruit.
Above: the Kesusu fruit tree. You can see it in Sabah Agriculture Park (Taman Pertanian Sabah) in Tenom.
Kesusu grows in the wild but it is considered rare nowadays as our forest is vanishing.
Photos taken in Tenom, Sabah, Malaysia Borneo
Wow. This really is rare. I’ve never heard let alone seen it. I’m not sure if the Soronsob is the local name for it because I think Soronsob is a different fruit. I used to eat it (soronsob) a lot when I was a kid.
Bizarre! What’s it taste like?
Hi Jipp, ya lor, I think they might use the wrong label. When I google with that scientific name, it shows something else..
Hello Dave, Kesusu tastes sweet & sour. ^^
Hi friend.
I wish I could talk to you about the fruit of their country.
I am a collector of plants fruit trees.
I await your email.
Hello,
The fruit you have in the the picture is NOT Dracontomelum dao (Anacardiaceae or mango family) but rather Prainea limpato (Moraceae – jackfruit family)…. the fruits of Anacardiaceae such as Mangifera, Spondias etc. are botanically known as drupes, which are characterized as having a single seed. The Moraceae subsection Artocarpeae in which Prainea resides is characterized as syncarps which are compound fruits, like the jackfruit, chempedak etc.
Prainea is quite rare; you should plant the seeds from this fruit back into the forest.
Thank you treewhisperer for the info. Really appreciate that. I’ve updated the article. 🙂
looking for tips on Borneo fruit in June (local names, where to find them): gardens, markets, forest guided tours. The pictured fruit is of great interest to me (I like the odd Artocarpus relatives) not sure when and where it is available.
I’m less interested in the common stuff (carambola, mangosteen, jackfruit, longkong) and more interested in odd things that are found only in Borneo (or aren’t really commercialized).
Just lovin’ this island with its wild nature and extremely friendly people. Hope the nature here remains preserved. Love also traveling around Asia and discovering all these exotic fruits and vegetables, and learning how to cook with them in classes. Great part about traveling around the world. http://seaviewsandakan.com/borneo/
Hi Karel, I’m glad that you enjoy your trip here. Please visit us again, I’m sure you will always find interesting new things such as fruits. 🙂
funky looking fruit! love to hear about more strange fruits there 🙂 im a strange fruit lover myself.
I bet you ate many strange fruits too 😀
I was there on January but i did not find it.
just saw it in Bau district, Kuching division, Sarawak. I thought it was yet-ripen jackfruit fallen on ground.
I would think the same if I were you. 😀