Malaysia 2017

Firstly, yes, we missed Singapore and I'm sure you're all very disappointed. The national fruit being durian, which apparently "smells of rotting flesh", there wasn't an overwhelming urge for me to make it happen. We did try to source another fruit for Singapore, but thus far, the mail service has let us down. And onwards...

Malaysia along with the rest of the far east has a wealth of exotic fruits that I have never tried and many of which I have never seen or heard of. I guess even our modern international transport isn't up to keeping these fruits fresh enough and their various vitamins haven't sufficiently been credited as 'superfoods'.

We chose to take our Malaysian adventure with rambutan. Small fuzzy fruits which look rather like red conker shells. On splitting open we reveal a white 'egg' similar to lychee.

The traditional poke test

Moderately sweet, I didn't mind them, but not so great that I'd choose again to spend £11 on the three that I ate (and the other five that were thrown away). The inner seed is a little like an almond and I'm told is edible, but the stark contrast in flavour and texture rather ruins the fruit. I might guess that a fresher version of the same, in the Malay heat, accompanied by a cold cocktail, after a dip in the pool, would be more desirable.

Reluctantly, Heidi tried a small piece and declared that it was like a grape without a skin, and which I can agree with.

Natalya prefered instead of trying to eat the fruit, to give on a hair cut.

The only fruit of the year to have a short back and sides.

Baking something with rambutan was not looking hopeful, so we made pizzas instead.