Santol Fruit

Santol fruit is one of two edible fruits found in the Meliaceae, or Mahogany family, and is botanically known as Sandoricum koetjape. The plump fruits, which are widely grown throughout Southeast Asia's tropical lowlands and are offered in fresh markets as a raw snack, are recognized for their sweet and sour flavor. There are two primary sorts of Santol fruits, which are typically classified as yellow or red variants, and one Santol tree can yield over 20,000 fruits in a single year. The two types of red santol fruit cultivars are thought to be more common in local markets, and in addition to the fruits, the trees are prized for their decorative, practical, and therapeutic qualities.

Santol fruits range in shape from round to oval and are 4 to 7 centimeters in diameter on average. The skin is leathery, wrinkled, a little fuzzy, and ripens from green to golden yellow. It may also occasionally have a crimson blush on it. Santol fruits also contain three to five unpalatable seeds inside a translucent to white flesh. The pulp is juicy, slick, and soft, and has a consistency similar to cotton. Depending on type and maturity, santol fruits can have a flavor that ranges from sour to extremely sweet. While the sour types of Santol fruits may leave a strong umami residue on the palate, the sweetest varieties have a candy-like flavor with subtle hints of peach and apple.