Food & Drink - Thailand - page 1479

FRUIT FOR THOUGHT
Thailand is home to an entire repertoire of fruit you probably never knew existed. Many are available year-round
nowadays, but April and May is peak season for several of the most beloved varieties, including durian, mangoes
and mangosteen.
Custard apple Known in Thai as no ́ y na ̀ h; the knobbly green skin of this fruit conceals hard black seeds and
sweet, gloopy flesh with a granular texture.
Durian Known in Thai as tu ́ ·ree·an, the king of fruit is also Thailand's most infamous, due to its intense flavour
and odour, which can suggest everything from custard to onions.
Guava A native of South America, fa·ra ̀ ng is a green, applelike ball containing a pink or white flesh that's sweet
and crispy.
Jackfruit The gigantic green pod of ka ̀ ·nŭn - it's generally considered the world's largest fruit - conceals dozens
of waxy yellow sections that taste like a blend of pineapple and bananas (it reminds us of Juicy Fruit chewing
gum).
Langsat Strip away the yellowish peel of this fruit, known in Thai as long·gong, to find a segmented, perfumed
pearlescent flesh with a lychee-like flavour.
Longan Lam yai takes the form of a tiny hard ball; it's like a mini lychee with sweet, perfumed flesh. Peel it, eat
the flesh and spit out the hard seeds.
Lychee The pink skin of lín·jèe conceals an addictive translucent flesh similar in flavour to a grape; it's generally
only available between April and June.
Mangosteen The hard purple shell of mang·ku ́ t, the queen of Thai fruit, conceals delightfully fragrant white seg-
ments, some containing a hard seed.
Pomelo Like a grapefruit on steroids, sôm oh takes the form of a thick pithy green skin hiding sweet, tangy seg-
ments; cut into the skin, peel off the pith and then break open the segments and munch on the flesh inside.
Rambutan People have different theories about what ngo ́ look like, not all repeatable in polite company. Regard-
less, the hairy shell contains sweet translucent flesh that you scrape off the seed with your teeth.
Rose apple Known in Thai as chom·po ̂ o, rose apple is an elongated pink or red fruit with a smooth, shiny skin
and pale, watery flesh; a good thirst quencher on a hot day.
Salak Also known as snake fruit because of its scaly skin; the exterior of sàlà looks like a mutant strawberry and
the soft flesh tastes like unripe bananas.
Starfruit The star-shaped cross-section of má·feu·ang is the giveaway; the yellow flesh is sweet and tangy and
believed by many to lower blood pressure.
Sweets
English-language Thai menus often have a section called 'Desserts', but the concept takes
two slightly different forms in Thailand. Kŏrng wăhn, which translates as 'sweet things',
are small, rich sweets that often boast a slightly salty flavour. Prime ingredients for kŏrng
wăhn include grated coconut, coconut milk, rice flour (from white rice or sticky rice),
cooked sticky rice, tapioca, mung-bean starch, boiled taro and various fruits. Egg yolks