Salak (snake fruit)

Salak (Salacca zalacca, syn. S. edulis, Calamus zalacca) is a species of palm tree (family Arecaceae) native to Indonesia and Malaysia. It is a very short-stemmed palm, with leaves up to 6m long; each leaf has a 2m long petiole with spines up to 15cm long, and numerous leaflets.

The fruit grow in clusters at the base of the palm, and are also known as snake fruit due to the reddish-brown scaly skin. They are about the size and shape of a ripe fig, with a distinct tip. The pulp is edible. The fruit can be peeled by pinching the tip which should cause the skin to slough off so it can be pulled away. The fruit inside consists of three lobes, each containing a large inedible seed. The lobes resemble, and have the consistency of, large peeled garlic cloves. The taste is usually sweet and acidic, but its apple-like texture can vary from very dry and crumbly (salak pondoh from Yogyakarta) to moist and crunchy (salak Bali).

Salak fruit has been cultivated throughout Indonesia and there are at least 30 cultivars, but most of which have an astringent taste and are not sweet. Two popular cultivars are salak pondoh from Yogyakarta province (found in 1980s) and salak Bali from Bali island.

Salak pondoh

Salak pondoh is an important fruit in Yogyakarta province. In the five years to 1999, the annual production of salak pondoh in Yogyakarta doubled to 28,666 tons. The popularity of salak pondoh (compared with other cultivars) among local Indonesian consumers is mainly due to the intensity of its aroma, which can be overripe and sweaty even before full maturation.^[1] The salak pondok cultivar has been produced outside the province. However, the distinctive aroma of salak pondoh is not as popular among non-native consumers.^[1]

Salak pondoh has three more superior variations, namely pondoh super, pondoh hitam (black pondoh), and pondoh gading (ivory-english term for gading / yellowish-skinned pondoh).

Salak Bali

Salak Bali is commonly sold all over the island of Bali, and is a popular fruit with both locals and tourists. It is also a favourite fruit of the monkeys found in the famous "Monkey Forests", with the animals often stealing fruit from visitors, especially children whom they see as an easier target. The fruit is roughly the size of a large fig, and has a crunchy and moist consistency. The fruit has a starchy 'mouth feel', and a flavour remeniscent of dilute pineapple and lemon juice.

Salak Gula Pasir

The most expensive cultivar of th Bali salak is the 'gula pasir', which is smaller than the normal salak and is the sweetest of all salak. The price in Bali is 15,000rp-30,000rp+ per kilogram (dependent on time of year when more trees are fruiting), against about 12,000rp for regular salak (non-Bali salak are cheaper than this as they are not as sweet). www.wikipedia.com

Salak
Salak fruit
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Monocots (unranked): Commelinids Order: Arecales Family: Arecaceae Genus: Salacca Species: S. zalacca
Binomial name
Salacca zalacca (Gaertn.) Voss