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Cuisine / Thai Fruits

Longan

Thai name: Lam-yai

Scientific name: Euphoria longana L.

Season: June to August

Grown extensively in the north, especially in the Chiang Mai area, the longan is much esteemed by Thai fruit lovers, who eagerly await the annual high season from June to August when piles of the small brown fruit can be found in markets throughout the country. The crisp skin is easy to remove and the white flesh has a texture and sweetness reminiscent of litchi. Thais generally eat longan fresh at room temperature, but the canned fruit is often served over ice as a dessert.

Pomelo

Thai name: Som-o

Scientific name: Citrus grandis Osb.

Season: August to November

This is the Thai version of a grapefruit, but with a sweet rather than a sour taste and considerably larger. A number of varieties are grown, with succulent flesh that may be pale yellow, orange, or red, and since the unpeeled fruit can be kept for around a month it is a popular addition to Thai meals. The peak fruiting season is from August to November, but some pomelos are available throughout the year.

Jujube

Thai name: Phutsa

Scient. name: Zizyphus mauritiana Lamk.

Season: August to February

Grown extensively in central and eastern Thailand, the small, round, sweet fruit is usually eaten fresh but is also processed for juice or dried.

Custard Apple

Thai name: Noi-na

Scientific name: Annona squamosa L.

Season: June to September

Also known as sugar apple, this fruit has a lumpy green skin covering masses of sweet, scented white flesh: in most varieties the fruit can easily be divided into two pieces by hand and the creamy flesh eaten with a spoon. Custard apples also form the base for a delicious ice cream, served in Thai restaurants. The main growing areas are the north-central provinces such as Phetchabun and Nakhon Ratchasima, and the peak fruiting season lasts from June to September.

Sapodilla

Thai name: La-mut

Scientific name: Achras sapota L.

Season: September to December

Somewhat resembling a small brown mango in shape, the sapodilla is grown in several widely scattered provinces, among them Chonburi, Sukhothai, Nakhon Sawan and Nakhon Si Thammarat. The fruit is eaten when ripe. After the peel is removed, the firm reddish-brown flesh is sliced into pieces which are often carved into decorative shapes.

Jackfruit

Thai name: Khanun

Scientific name: Artocarpus heterophylus Lamk.

Season: January to May

The jackfruit is the shape of a large melon. The fruit has a grey skin, and contains a great number of pips or kernels which are about the size of a pigeon’s egg. These, when roasted, taste like chestnuts. The fruit is yellow and succulent, of a sweet taste and powerful smell. Thus wrote Simon de la Loubere, a French visitor to Thailand in the 17th century, and his description of the popular jackfruit still holds true. Thais eat the yellow flesh alone, with ice cream or mixed with other fruits and coconut milk in a compote. The cooked seeds find their way into many dishes.

Papaya

Thai name: Ma-la-ko

Scientific name: Carica papaya L.

Season: all year

Originally a native of Mexico, the papaya has been grown in Southeast Asia since the 16th century and the long yellow or orange fruit, rich in Vitamins A and C, is a well-established component of Thai cuisine. In perhaps its most popular use, green papayas are sliced into thin strips and ground together with dried shrimp, garlic, and hot chilies to produce a fiery salad called som tam.

The ripe fruit is often eaten with a few drops of freshly squeezed lime juice.

Watermelon

Thai name: Taeng-mo

Scientific name: Citrullus vulgaris schard

Season: October to March

Sweet and refreshing, ruby-red chunks of watermelon are an essential part of nearly every fruit platter. In Thailand, pieces of watermelon are often dipped into salt before eating; the delicious juice is also extracted and widely sold as a beverage. Watermelons are grown in most parts of Thailand and are available throughout the year, though March is the peak of the season.

Rambutan

Thai name: Ngo

Scientific name: Nephelium lappaceum L.

Season: May to September

Ruby red and covered with fine green-tipped hairs, the rambutan is one of the most attractive Thai fruits and also one of the most delicious when eaten at the peak of ripeness between May and September when it is most plentiful. Thai rambutans are noted for their sweetness and considerable quantities are exported both fresh and canned; the main growing areas are Chanthaburi and southern provinces such as Surat Thani.

Guava

Thai name: Farang

Scientific name: Psidium guajava L.

Season: all year

No one seems to know how the Thais came to call the guava by the same name used for Westerners, but perhaps the fact that the fruit originally came from Spain had something to do with it. In any event, the guava is one of the most popular fruits for snacks, eaten either ripe or when still green dipped in a bit of salt or sugar. In addition to the usual one with white flesh, another variety is bright red when peeled.

Strawberry

Thai name: Strawberry

Scientific name: Fragaria spp.

Season: December to March

Strawberries, like grapes, are normally associated with temperate countries, and many visitors who come to Thailand between December and March are surprised at the quantities of luscious berries available. Actually, they thrive at the higher altitudes in the northern part of the country and were one of the first fruits introduced by King Bhumiphol to the hill tribes as a substitute crop for opium poppy. Today fresh strawberries are plentiful during the fruiting season, as a visit to any supermarket will attest. As in the West, strawberries are also used to produce excellent jam.

Litchi

Thai name: Lin-chi

Scientific name: Litchi chinensis Sonn.

Season: April to June

There was a time when this famous delicacy was mostly imported from China and thus sold at very high prices. Today, however, many litchi orchards have been established in northern Thailand and local prices, while still above those of most other fruits, are not exorbitant. Several varieties of the fruit characterized by a sweet taste with a faint trace of tartness are currently grown, ranging from pinkish to dark red in color. Litchis come on the market fresh

Langsat

Thai name: Lang-sat

Scientific name: Lansium domesticum Corr.

Season: July to October

This fruit is unlikely to be known to many foreign fruit lovers, but Thais are very fond of its smoky white flesh and look forward to the fruits annual appearance between July and October. The taste is sweet and at the same time slightly sour. One must be careful not to bite into the bitter seed. The main growing zones are the lower north, the east, and the south.

Rose Apple

Thai name: Chom-phu

Scientific name: Eugenia javanica Lamk.

Season: November to March

Bell-shaped, the rose apple has a glossy skin that is either green or pink and that is eaten along with the crisp, slightly acid inside. Its decorative appearance guarantees it a prominent place on any fruit platter during the peak season between June and September.

Sweet Tamarind

Thai name: Makham wan

Scientific name: Tamarindus indica L.

Season: December to March

The fruit is, as the name suggests, a sweet variety of a fruit generally associated with an acid taste. After being peeled it is generally eaten fresh, though boiled in water it also makes a refreshing juice. Other, more sour varieties of tamarind are used in various cooked dishes for flavoring.