Malaysian fruits: Sukun or Breadfruit

Coming to Ipoh and having the blessing of a large garden have certainly enhanced my botanical senses.

I spotted a large tree with torn-looking leaves next to a kampung house on the way home from servicing my car. What attracted my attention were the light green, round fruits the size of small pomelos hanging abundantly on the branches.

Some old memory flickered in me. Could it be? I remembered eating fried sukun from the pisang goreng vendor who used to ply his trade opposite the Government/ immigration complex at Damansara Heights. I haven't had that in years! When I told my maid about it, she was surprised that I even knew about the fruit, which is called breadfruit in English.

My maid then informed me that there were several breadfruit trees growing along the road shoulders not far from our house, and also in several neighbouring compounds. Indeed! When I specifically sought them out while driving, I saw 2 such trees on our main road, and a heavily fruiting one in my neighbour's garden. They look so cute, these green balls hanging down from the branches. And there is a long row of breadfruit trees along the road in front of Kolej Ungku Omar near Taman Cempaka.

What bounty nature provides, as the ground was littered with freshly dropped sukun! We picked up 2, and brought them home to make battered-and-fried sukun. Yummy.

I read on some blogs that it is not common to find sukun these days in KL. Well, isn't it wonderful that Ipoh is still so green and abundant with nature's gifts?

Now, I need to get a breadfruit sapling.