Tropical Lao Fruits
I thought I elaborate on what Dan Shriver asked from my last post about the Fruit & Spice Park. I am not familiar with any of the fruits mentioned and was hoping someone else can help. I think some of these may grow in the wild but never cultivated in large numbers. They are definitely not common Lao fruits like guava or papaya.
Dan Shriver asked, “Anyone have any tips on fruits in season in Laos Dec-Jan? I’m wondering what they are called (local names) where to look for them… basically native things that are grown but aren’t so common.
I’ve heard the following are found in Laos:
What are the Lao names and when are they in season?
Is this fruit grown in Laos:
if so what is it called and what is its season?”
I have gathered these great photos from Toptropicals (to make it easier to identify). If anyone has any idea, please join in! I am just as curious to know the Lao names of these fruits as well. Thanks.
Toptropicals has a great selection of pictures and info on tropical plants. It looks like my kind of nursery, but too bad I don’t live in Florida. The pictures and description of each plants are very informative. Here is a little bit more info about TopTropicals written by the owners, “Top Tropicals is not an ordinary nursery. It is also information, photos, education, regular plant clinics… It’s a new generation of tropical plant store. Flowering plants, exotic perfume trees, fragrant plants, herbs, spice plants and over 200 varieties of exotic fruit trees - we have them all.” - Tatiana & Mike
Clausena lansium: mak Long Tong (usually imported from Vietnam & Thailand).
Garcinia Xanthochymus: mak Muann Khay (i like it :p, i got 1 tree in my yard in VTE ^_^)
I was surprised to see that many fruits are imported from neighboring countries. When I was living here in the 80’s all fruits and veggies were locally grown and we ate according to seasons.
I’ll check and see if I can find some at the market.
Anan- I’m curious about the “Clausena lansium: mak Long Tong”
Do you also have something called “Long Tong” (no ‘mak’)? Because in Thailand / Maylasia / Phillipines… they grow what we call in English “Longkong”. The fruits themselves look slightly like a lighter colored ‘longan” (from a Chinese word for “dragon’s eye”). However, they aren’t related, and unlike longan (where the fruits are at the slim ends of branches in groups), longkong fruits will cluster off a stem (tiny stems coming out perpendicular to the main stem in all angles), there are other varieties such as “duku” and “langsat” but they are all basically Lansium domesticum. It also different from longan inside the fruit, you peel it and there are many segments inside each spherical fruit (similar to a mangosteen in that respect but the skin is thin). The flavor is a nice sweet sour, but the seeds are bitter. Also, they seem to be a stomach irritant- I’ve found I can eat at most 1 lb (1/2 kilo) at a sitting without getting a stomach ache later.
What about the odd Artocarpus (not breadfruit, not jackfruit or chempedak) such as “Gumihan”{Fillipino name} (Artocarpus sericicarpus, or Artocarpus elasticus), or “Marang”{Fillipino name} (Artocarpus odoratissimus). Are they available in Laos? If so what are they called and where are they sold?
Likewise are any of the relatives of Durian available (durian itself is: Durio zibethinus, and others are Durio testudinarium “Kura Kura”, Durio dulcis “Lahong”, Durio graveolens “Red Fleshed Durian”,
Durio isu “Isu”, Durio oxleyanus “Kerantongan”)?