Alimuran (Snake Fruit)
* Not a widely seen or known fruit in the Philippines.
Rattan fruit in the central (sort of northern) part of Luzon. It’s called kayapi in the Visayan areas.
Called salak or snake fruit in other parts of Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia and Malaysia.
Known for being very sour, alimuran fruit is usually eaten with salt or pickled for consumption.
The pangolin-like skin peel is very distinctive.
Add a picture of what the inside — the flesh — looks like.
Where I came from, we call this fruit simply “limuran.”
The beautiful fruit of the rattan vine is covered by golden fish-like scales. Inside is a huge brown seed, hard as a stone. The seed is covered by a thin, juicy, highly acidic, barely sweet pulp, which is what you eat.
It’s a fascinating fruit, popular with kids, but adults generally shy away from its sharp sour taste.
Snake fruit or salak is different from ratan fruit. FYI