Bali has an abundance of fruit with many varieties that are a lot more interesting than just your average apple or orange. Tropical fruits come in strange colours, shapes and textures, yet each is quite exotic in its own way.

Just about everyone seems to enjoy the mangosteen which has been referred to as the ‘Queen of Fruits’. Slightly smaller than a tennis ball with a deep purple skin, the inside reveals 4-8 pinky-white edible segments that are delicately sweet.

One of the oddest looking tropical fruit in Bali is the rambutan, also known as hairy fruit. This reflects the fruits most unusual skin of soft rubbery spines that are crimson in colour. Inside is a single piece of sweet translucent flesh that surrounds a woody seed. The whole segment is pooped into the mouth and the tangy flesh nibbled off leaving only the inedible seed.

Another unusual fruit is the salak, which is recognized by its teardrop shape and brown scaly snake-like peel. The fruit inside consists of a large segment and one or two smaller lobes that tastes pleasantly crisp with the consistency of a carrot. Salak is not a remarkable tasting fruit, yet it grows abundantly in Bali’s drier regions and is readily available at the local marketplace.

The seasonal fruit called durian is a great favourite within the Asian community and because it is such a delicacy it can be quite expensive. Known for its pungent odour that many Westerners find quite offensive, this controversial fruit is often banned from hotels and restaurants. Durian generally comes in the shape of a coconut, often larger, with a thick pale green outer rind that is covered with sharp thorns. Once cut open with a butcher’s cleaver, the inside reveals sections of creamy pulp that surrounds large seeds.

Banana, mango, papaya, pineapple and coconut are also some of the types of tropical fruits that are plentiful in Bali. A platter of seasonal fresh fruits or a delicious blended juice makes a refreshing holiday breakfast.