Fruits

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Regarding tropical fruits, Thailand has a lot to offer. The least expensive are exotic fruits of all kinds sold at the local market where they are especially fresh and lots to choose from. Apples are usually imported from Australia or New Zealand and and tend to be more expensive.

However, some grapes are home grown these days. A hot tip for all strawberry fans: The season is from February to April and the main planting regions are north of Chiang Mai. They tend not to be as sweet as European varieties.

Pineapples and watermelons are available nearly all year round.

Banana (gluay):
It is said that there are more than 20 different kinds. The most popular ones are gluay hom, gluay khai and gluay man wa. They are available the whole year round. Not only eaten fresh, but also cooked, barbecued, baked or fried. Beware: Some varieties contain pea-sized, black seeds which can crush your teeth or fillings without mercy.

Lamut (lamut):
This egg-shaped fruit with brown skin consists of soft, sweet and brownish flesh, similar to porridge. The skin usually is cut off, but can be eaten. Season: November to February.

Durian (turian):
This is the name for the big and spiky fruit. There are two different opinions: Either you are absolutely in love and easily addicted or you are not interested at all. There is nothing in between. After cutting the hard skin and opening the fruit, there are four segments with several large seeds surrounded by flesh. Depending on the ripeness of the durian, this creamy yellowish flesh gives a very aromatic smell or a horrible stench! The season for this fruit that “stinks like hell and tastes like heaven” is from May to September. There is a small season (e.g. in the “fruit garden” of Thailand, the town of Lang Suan in Chumphon province) around December and January as well.

Jackfruit (kanoon):
A huge fruit growing up to 20 kg and resembling a fully blown balloon. This greenish-yellow fruit has a hard skin. Before it is ripe the light yellow flesh is separated in small pieces and is eaten as a salad or vegetable. When it is ripe the yellow flesh tastes very sweet. The seeds can be eaten as well, but they have to be boiled first. They are available the whole year, especially in August and September.

Coconut (maprao):
A versatile fruit. The hard flesh of ripe brown nuts are dried in the sun and then treated as copra. The young coconuts, however, consist of refreshing water with soft flesh and are always available for sale. A hot tip for creating an even better taste: Some of the water is poured out and small pieces of papaya, pineapple and mango are put inside the coconut with a small bottle “Mekhong Whiskey” or “Sang Thip”. This has to be refrigerated for about 12 hours!

Longan (lamyai):
The size of a cherry, brown fruit with a thin skin. The glassy flesh tastes very sweet. Sold in bunches mainly in the season from July to October.
Mangosteen (mangkut):
This dark violet fruit is about the size of a mandarin. In order to get to the sweet white flesh you have to break the hard skin. After durian it is certainly the most popular fruit eaten by Thai people. Season from May to October.

Clementine (som):
Mostly with green skin, many seeds and very juicy. Mandarins are sold as oranges in Thailand, but oranges are not cultivated. They are harvested the whole year.

Oranges are mostly imported from China.

Mango (mamuang):
This oval shaped fruit can become up to 20 cm long. When the skin is green it is still unripe, hard and very sour yet Thai people like to eat it together with salt. The flesh of a ripe mango is yellow and juicy and tastes slightly like a peach. With two long cuts along the flat parts of the seed the mango is in three parts. Two of them can be eaten with a spoon and the middle part with the seed can be gnawed. The skin cannot be eaten. Season is from April to June.

Papaya (malagor):
A big melon like fruit. When it is ripe, the green or orange shining skin has a delicious orange-red flesh. It is best to cut it vertically, then to take out the black seeds and pour some lime juice on top and enjoy eating the fruit with a spoon. The white flesh of the unripe fruit is used to make an excellent salad or a kind of sour vegetable dish. The papaya season is all year around.

Sugar apple (noi nah):
This fruit is also called cinnamon apple, it has a scaly gray-green skin and looks like a hand grenade. To reach to the soft white flesh, it is best to break the apple into two parts and takes out the seeds with a spoon. The skin is inedible. Season: June to December.

Rambutan (ngoh):
Funny looking, egg-sized fruits with a redish hairy skin. Under this beautiful packing there is glassy white and deliciously sweet flesh. Rambutans are sold in bunches. The harvest time is from May to July and again in December.

Starfruit (ma feung):
In cross-section the star-shaped fruit segments are easy to recognize, the name of the fruit derives from the shape The fruit is soft and very juicy, so it is best to eat it with a spoon. There are green and violet star fruits. Both kinds are ripe and edible, but the violet ones are sweeter. Season from January to March.