Langsat

langsat

I tried googling for more reliable information on langsat but I do not find much. If there is, there seems to be some confusion with buah rambai.

So, let me try explaining what langsat is. The above is a bunch we bought recently. It is supposed to be from Baling, Kedah which has the reputation of producing the sweetest langsat in Malaysia.

Well, I read on the net that langsat originates from Malaysia.

Origin and Distribution

The langsat originated in western Malaysia and is common both wild and cultivated throughout the Archipelago and on the island of Luzon in the Philippines where the fruits are very popular and the tree is being utilized in reforestation of hilly areas. It is much grown, too, in southern Thailand and Vietnam and flourishes in the Nilgiris and other humid areas of South India and the fruits are plentiful on local markets. The langsat was introduced into Hawaii before 1930 and is frequently grown at low elevations. An occasional tree may be found on other Pacific islands.

Source


The fruit comes in clusters very much like grapes and the size is a little bigger than a big grape. It is a seasonal fruit and usually available when the durian season is almost over. It has a yellow skin with some sap. The flesh comes in segments, white in colour and taste sweetish/sourish depending on how ripe the fruits are. Some segments have seeds which is bitter if one bite into it accidentally.

The tree is rather high but it has branches. I remembered having a langsat tree behind my house in Bayan Lepas, Penang. Climbing up the young tree was fun and but it grown too high for climbing when it is fruiting

Therefore, if the price of langsat is high (I think about RM5 kg per kg? Can’t be very sure) it is probably due to the difficulties of plucking the fruits.

I did refrain from eating langsats by the kilogrammes whenever I was pregnant or breastfeeding. Old wives tale claimed that eating langsat can cause ‘wind’ or flatulence. Having experienced bad stomach cramps due to too much of this fruit, I must say that it is safer to stay away from eating too much.

There are simiar looking fruits like the dokong, duku and duku langsat. But I still prefer langsat because it has the distinct smell of langsat whereas the other varieties are much sweeter but less fragrant.

4 Replies to “Langsat”

  1. Auntie, congrats on the new site. Your PenangFaces has upgraded to another level and it will definately promotes tourism in Malaysia. Are you willing to receive other people’s articles from other states? Or you are still planning to concentrate on your articles and penang? Just my opinion. By the way, the link [read more of the entry] is very troublesome. Each time read halfway, I have to click. Although it makes your entry look shorter, but still ma fan ler. 🙂

  2. boo and babe – Let’s drink tuak instead. Hahaha.

    Jason – If you know how Google Adsense works, then you won’t be saying this. Everything has its reason, so this is one of them.

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