Name: Salak, also called snake fruit (Salacca zalacca), named for its scaly, reddish-brown skin, which looks like snake skin. The word salak comes from Malay. Popular types include salak pondoh from Yogyakarta, and salak bali.
Description
Salak is a species of palm native to Java and Sumatra in Indonesia, where it grows wild and has been eaten since ancient times. It is widely cultivated in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, and has been introduced to the Philippines, New Guinea and northern Australia. The palm has spiny stems and grows in dense clumps.
The pear-shaped fruit grows in clusters at the base of the plant, with a thin, brittle, scaly skin that peels off easily. Inside are two or three large lobes of firm, pale cream flesh with a crisp texture and a taste that is sweet, tart and slightly astringent, often compared to a mix of apple, pineapple and banana. The variety salak pondoh is prized because it is sweet and less astringent.
Main nutrition value
Salak provides carbohydrate, fibre and some potassium and vitamin C, with a crisp, slightly tannic flavour.
How best to be consumed
Salak is eaten fresh, once the scaly skin has been peeled away.
- Pinch the tip, peel the scaly skin back and remove the lobes, discarding the inner brown skin and the large seed.
- Eat fresh as a crisp snack, or sliced into fruit salads.
- Choose fruit with a dull, dry skin and a sweet smell, rather than sour or damp ones.
- Use in sweet-and-sour dishes, candied fruit, preserves and pickles, as in Indonesian cooking.
- Handle carefully, since the skin scales can be sharp.
Overconsumption could cause…
Salak is safe in ordinary amounts, and issues are mostly about tannins.
- Constipation or dry mouth from the astringent tannins, especially in unripe fruit.
- High sugar intake if many are eaten at once.
- Digestive upset from eating the inner skin or seed.
- Allergic reactions in rare cases.
Wikipedia — Salak, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salak
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