Meet "salak," an unfamiliar fruit (to me) that I tasted in Malaysia

It has been more than a month since I was in Malaysia. Yet browsing through photos I took during the trip made me realize I haven't yet shared my experience of eating this rather unfamiliar fruit called "salak."

I encountered salak when we went to the public market to buy souvenir goods. I spotted salak in an instant because, located side by side with rambutan and lanzones, it stood out from the rest.

I bought half a kilo for 2 ringgit (about P28) just so I could taste it. My Malaysian friends told me the fruit was very common there and in Indonesia. One taste and I immediately fell in love with the fruit--it wasn't too sweet and not too soft. Everything's just right.

Salak's skin is hard, which allows the fruit to survive in the fridge for almost two weeks (I know because I brought home some to the Philippines). I seriously wanted to keep the seed so I can try to grow them in our backyard but was told that might not be possible because salak grows in the mangroves. Bummer! :)