Fritters from a 70 years old tree

Serve the fritters hot for afternoon tea.

Today I have great respect to a 70 years old Cempedak tree.  The tree has been standing here before I was born.  The beauty about this tree is that it is still bearing fruits that are exceedingly sweet.  It is indeed a privilege for me to enjoy its fruits taken fresh or as fritters.  Here's a guide on cooking  Cempedak fritters.  First prepare a batter comprising of wheat flour and water (see inset) .  Heat up the oil palm cooking oil in the frying pan in medium flame.   Throw in the Cempedak fruits covered in batter into the frying pan and wait till the colour turns brownish, to indicate that it is sufficiently cooked.  This would take between 10 - 15 minutes.  Serve hot.  Cempedak fritters are great for afternoon tea.

When the fritters appear brown it's an indication that they are sufficiently cooked.

Fresh Cempedak fruits from a 70 year old tree

Fresh photography

Cempedak and Rambutan freshly plucked for the fun of photography.

Delcious Cempedak fruits

It is only when you live in a fruit garden that you are able to pluck the fruits fresh from the trees and take your time having the shots of your life.  This I call fresh photography.  I enjoy photographing the fresh fruits in the garden this year.  This year the seasonal fruits that do well are the Rambutan and Jering.  Other fruit trees  that produce low harvest are the Cempedak and Lumok.  Anyway, from the photography angle all of the fruits were marvellous.

Juicy and sweet Rambutan fruits

Mouth watering Cempedak fruits

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.

Cempedak muda masak lemak

Young Cempedak fruits on trees in the park

Fried paste

 "Cempedak muda masak lemak" is the Malay name for the cooking of young cempedak fruits in coconut milk ( 'santan' in Malay) with shrimp paste ('belacan') pounded with garlic, shallots, chillies and anchovies.  Currently the cempedak trees are beginning to bear its seasonal fruits.  For the purpose of making this dish young cempedak fruits have to be cut into small pieces and boiled first.  After about 20 minutes of boiling, mix in the fried paste and coconut milk.  Keep on boiling for another 10 minutes to have it perfectly cooked.  Add in a pinch of salt before serving.  Eating the 'Cempedak muda masak lemak' is one of the little pleasures of life at the park that gives  big satisfaction......yummy, yummy, yummy.

Young and unripe Cemepdak fruits are sliced into small pieces...

Boiled Cempedak and Belacan ( shrimp paste)

Add in coconut milk or 'Santan'..

Served the dish hot.....with rice, fried salted fish in ginger and little slices of Jackfruit for dessert.