A Mysterious Tree Bears Fruit (original) (raw)

The residents at Spottiswoode Park, near the Keppel Railway Station are getting all excited. All because of a certain tree that has suddenly become heavily laden with fruit.

No, it's not durian, neither is it mango or rambutans. But a highly rare type of fruit that apparently, according to a resident, comes by only once in 15 years. No wonder people are waiting eagerly beneath, to lay their hands on its edible fruits from the tree that's no less than 5-storeys high.

The security guard at the condo stationed just opposite the tree keeps a bag on hand, keeping watch when one of the prized items falls with a loud thud to the ground.

Absolutely clueless about the name of the fruit, much less seen one before, I was surprised that there are people who actually pick up the fruits and eat them. Not the adventurous kind, I didn't dare taste it, though its sweet fragrance permeated the air, and the juicy flesh looked really tempting.

The size of a huge mango and smelling like jackfruit, the thin brown skinned fruit resembled an "old cucumber" - those that is boiled in soup in Chinese cuisines. Inside, the mushy flesh resembled a bread fruit (one of the most important staple foods of the tropical islands in the Pacific Ocean) and the seed is almost similar to that of a mango.

A lady who seemed to be familiar with it said it can be cut and eaten dipped in chilli and dark soya sauce. She also said that this tree is pretty rare in Singapore, but can be commonly found in Malaysia.

Unfortunately, a search on the Internet, with the few clues we had yielded no results. But I'm sure your curiosity has now been fuelled just like mine... so watch this space as we continue to uncover the mystery of this rare fruit.

FRUIT HUNTER... OUT!