Cempedak
Encyclopedia
Artocarpus integer, known as Chempedak, chempedek or cempedak , is a species of tree
and its fruit
in the family Moraceae
. It is native to southeast Asia
(Indonesia), occurring from Indonesia, Malaya Peninsula to the island of New Guinea/Papua. It has been introduced to Queensland. The vigorously growing, medium-sized tree can bear heavy crops of fruit once or twice a year.
There are many varieties, although few are named. The sausage-shaped fruits range from 22 to 50 centimetres in length and 10 to 17 cm across. The edible arils surrounding the large seeds are yellow, orange or green in colour. The taste of the fruit is similar to the related Jackfruit
and Breadfruit
with a hint of Durian
. The sweet, juicy pulp surrounds the seeds in a thick layer between the husk and an inedible core. The green skin is thin and leathery, patterned with hexagons that are either flat or raised protuberances like jackfruit skin.
The fruit is very popular in its native area, and is becoming so in Queensland. Fritters made by dipping arils in batter and frying in oil are sold in the streets of Malaysia.This is also grown and eaten in Andhra pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of India. This is known as "Panasapandu" in Telugu and "Chakka" in Malayalam. Cempedak fruits can be also found and bought in Singapore. The seeds can be boiled and then peeled and eaten. They taste very much like water chestnuts.
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
and its fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
in the family Moraceae
Moraceae
Moraceae — often called the mulberry family or fig family — are a family of flowering plants comprising about 40 genera and over 1000 species. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates...
. It is native to southeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
(Indonesia), occurring from Indonesia, Malaya Peninsula to the island of New Guinea/Papua. It has been introduced to Queensland. The vigorously growing, medium-sized tree can bear heavy crops of fruit once or twice a year.
There are many varieties, although few are named. The sausage-shaped fruits range from 22 to 50 centimetres in length and 10 to 17 cm across. The edible arils surrounding the large seeds are yellow, orange or green in colour. The taste of the fruit is similar to the related Jackfruit
Jackfruit
The jackfruit is a species of tree in the Artocarpus genus of the mulberry family . It is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh, . The jackfruit tree is believed to be indigenous to the southwestern rain forests of India...
and Breadfruit
Breadfruit
Breadfruit is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry family, Moraceae, growing throughout Southeast Asia and most Pacific Ocean islands...
with a hint of Durian
Durian
The durian is the fruit of several tree species belonging to the genus Durio and the Malvaceae family . Widely known and revered in southeast Asia as the "king of fruits", the durian is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk...
. The sweet, juicy pulp surrounds the seeds in a thick layer between the husk and an inedible core. The green skin is thin and leathery, patterned with hexagons that are either flat or raised protuberances like jackfruit skin.
The fruit is very popular in its native area, and is becoming so in Queensland. Fritters made by dipping arils in batter and frying in oil are sold in the streets of Malaysia.This is also grown and eaten in Andhra pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of India. This is known as "Panasapandu" in Telugu and "Chakka" in Malayalam. Cempedak fruits can be also found and bought in Singapore. The seeds can be boiled and then peeled and eaten. They taste very much like water chestnuts.