The Artocarpus fruit trees

Cempedak - Artocarpus champeden
Alt: Artocarpus integer
Zone G: Cempedak Hill

There are four species of the 'bread fruit' genera (Artocarpus) that are planted for posterity and production purposes at the park.  The most unique among them to me is the 'Ong Lumok' (Bintulu Melanau) which is also called as 'Terap' in Malay.  Others in the line up are the 'Cempedak' (Artocarpus integer), 'Nangka' or Jackruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) and the 'Sukun' or Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis).  Artocarpus belong to the fig family (Moraceae).  The genus 'Artocarpus' is named after the Greek word; artos = bread, karpos = fruit.  For many people of the Pacific islands the popularity of the breadfruit as the 'staff of life' has been recognised over generations being their staple food, like rice for orientals.    Artocarpus trees tend to be cauliflory whereby  many in the genus bear flowers and fruits on trunks or branches.  All Artocarpus trees have a  peculiar form of flower head which resembles a bur on a stalk.  This structure bears flowers so small that they have to be dissected under a microscope.  For more images of Sarawak's unique fruits, check them out in another blog of mine here ...>>>http://mysarawak2.blogspot.com/p/unique-fruits.html

Ong Lumok - Artocarpus odoratissimus

Nangka - Artocarpus heterophyllus

Leaves of the Sukun or Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis)

70 years old Cempedak tree fruiting

Location: Cempedak Hill, Zone G

Cempedak ( Artocarpus integer)

 It is a huge tree and has been planted here before I was born.  The 'Cempedak' tree (Artocarpus integer) is fruiting extremely well.  It belongs to the same family of the more well-known Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) and Terap (Artocarpus odoratissimus).  The fruits of Artocarpus range from the size of a tennis ball to a punching bag.  They have latex in the bark, leaves and other living tissues.

Note how the fruits are borne on the main tree trunk and branches rather than end of branchlets as in the Breadfruit and Terap.

Last Cempedak fruit

The last Cempedak fruit (Artocarpus integer), plucked from tree at Zone C

Cempedak fritters

 Since ten days ago, there was no rain at the park.  This is a sure indication that the rainy monsoon season (Nov-Feb) is over.  The end of the year season of fruits is also over in Bintulu.  However there is one Cempedak fruit that is left to be plucked.  Today this  last fruit was eaten fresh, made into fritters and the seeds boiled to be eaten with honey.  The last season of Cempedak was most memorable because the trees that were here more than 60 years ago still continue to produce fruits this year.

A fruity lunch

Sweet and succulent deep yellow to orange Chempedak fruits.
At the foreground are the oil palm fruits.

 The very sweet Chempedak madu is just ideal for dessert.  This variety is extra sweet and succulent.  In the above picture is shown the 'sawit' fruits (oil palm fruits) as part of presentation, though when boiled the sawit fruits can be eaten just as well.  Ok, there is such a thing as a fruity lunch.  So we have today the fruit salad Malaysian style which is made of sliced 'sengkuang' fruit or jicama and slices of  'timun' or cucumber.  These are mixed well with the Malaysian salad paste called 'sambal rojak'. The whole dish is thus referred to as 'rojak buah-buahan' or fruits rojak.

A fruity lunch plate consisting of 'Chempedak madu' and  'Rojak buah-buahan' (Malaysian fruit salad)
The Chempedak madu is for dessert.

The Chempedak fruit

Artocarpus is a significant genus of edible fruits in Sarawak - Artocarpus integer or 'Chempedak' in Malay is consumed in many ways..e.g. fritters, seeds are boiled to make porridge or smoked as in 'Likeng'

 This year the Chempedak trees are not fuiting profusely but there again a dozen of these trees at the farm collectively ensures many fruits to share and giveaway.  The big trees at the park have been planted before I was born that is more than 60 years ago.  However those original exotic trees have been preserved for posterity though I managed to add more trees over the years.  The Chempedak is easily mistaken for the Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)  which is obviously much larger in size. In another blog  I have written a fair bit about the fruit especially the art of smoking it....checkout the story here ..

The original Chempedak trees planted more than 60 years ago are still standing and growing....as seen towering above the oil palm trees or Sawit in Malay.
Oil palm trees are an added crop, well-integrated into the existing landscape and agro-forestry practices at the eco-farm..

Like most trees of the fig family (Moraceae), the Chempedak has white latex to its bark, leaves and skin of the fruit.