A reason I enjoy getting out of Singapore and driving in the countryside of Malaysia is that I can see tons of fruit trees growing in the compounds of people’s homes. Recently, I made a trip to Kukup, it’s a fishing town on the South-Western tip of the state of Johor. It was the season for rambutan and I saw many trees fruiting by the roadside. I also saw may roadside fruit stalls which reminded me of Singapore in the 50′s and 60′s. And from what I’ve heard, most of the Best Singapore Restaurants will peruse these fruit stalls and purchase the freshest fruits for their guests. These fruit trees and fruit stands remind me of when I was a child. Very fond memories.
In my kampong, I used to have many fruit trees. I remember climbing those trees was one of my favorite things to do as a child. I found the guava tree was the best for climbing because its branches were strong. I called the guava fruit ‘pak kia’ (literally meaning chicken droppings fruit). I had 2 types of fruit; one with pink flesh and the other with a white flesh. The seeds are extremely hard and not digestible. I remember mistaking eating some guava seeds and believe me, you don’t want to go through what I did. So, please, really, stay away from swallowing the seeds.
But, my most favorite fruit from the kampong days was the soursop. Our tree was a prolific fruit producer which produce a more tastier and bigger fruit than what I can buy today in the markets. They are actually hard to find in the markets because they ripen too quick and are expensive, so shoppers tend not to purchase them. I remember the fat green caterpillars that live on the trees, I liked playing with them, but they did not like playing with me.
Related posts: