BLIMBING ASAM

A native of Malaysia, it usually grows into a small slender tree up to 10 meters tall. It is quite commonly grown in the kampongs. Blimbing Asam can be easily distinguished from star fruit in that it has large leaves with 10-34 leaflets. The leaves are paler green than the star fruit. Flowers are produced all the year round especially during the drier parts of the year. The crimson flowers are borne on the stem and branches. Fruits are cylindrical or slightly 5 ambled in shape and vary from 5-10 cm long. They are greenish yellow to yellow when ripe, and are soft and fleshy with a few flat seeds in the centre. They are juicy but very sour, and are eaten as pickles or cooked as seasonings or curries. It is also possible to make candies and jams out of them.