Duku | Tropical Fruits | Tourism Malaysia

duku

Duku is one of the favorite tropical fruits among Malaysians. Duku is a name in Malay and its botanical family is Meliaceae. I don’t know what it’s called in English. Anyway, the Duku is native to Malaysia and is regarded as one of the most delicious of all fruits in Malaysia. Due to its popularity, the Duku is now cultivated throughout Southeast Asia and it grows on a tree belonging to the same family as the Langsat. The Langsat is also another favorite fruits in Malaysia that shares many similarities with Duku.

Most people are confused between Langsat and Duku. Here are some tips on how to differentiate the Duku from Langsat.

Duku - The fruit are round like golf balls and have a very hard skin. They don’t bruise easily and an unripe fruit is super sour! If it is fresh and ripe, it tastes tangy and sweet and delicious!

Langsat – The fruit looks similar to the duku but are always sold on the stem. If they drop off, they are no longer fresh. The skin has a lot of latex if you don’t open it properly so eating it requires a technique not many have. The fruit is very sweet.

The Delicious Duku

The duku, which grows in clusters, is about the size and shape of a large golf ball, and has thick, somewhat leathery golden brown skin. After gentle pressure with the hands on both sides of the top of the fruit (where the stem was attached), the skin splits to reveal five segments of white flesh, some of which may contain small seeds. Avoid biting into these as they are bitter.

Duku flesh is delicious and juicy. Most fruits enthusiasts claim that the Duku is superior to Langsat in terms of sweetness and tenderness of the flesh. Certainly, the lack of sticky latex in the skin typical of langsat makes eating the duku a much easier task. In Asia, the duku is always eaten fresh as a snack or to finish a meal.

Duku can be found throughout the year in Malaysia. It’s easily noticed especially in fruit stalls by the streets in the countryside. Duku is cheap and they are sold by weight. Normally a kilo will only cost two to five Malaysian Ringgit. The Duku is not normally sold in large and established supermarket such as Jaya Jusco and Tesco. They are usually found in the night market in villages and small towns.

Stems of Duku on A Tree