Rose apple
Syzygium jambos · Tropical fruit
Top 10 pairings
The rose apple (Syzygium jambos) — also called Malabar plum, plum rose or jambu — is a small, hollow-centred tropical fruit from a flowering tree in the myrtle family. Crisp, dry-fleshed and only lightly sweet, its defining trait is a pronounced rosewater perfume that fills the mouth, and it is eaten fresh out of hand across India and Southeast Asia.
Picking a good onedrag
Fresh-picked, crisp, rose-scentedBruised, soft or fermenting
Firm but fadingUse todayThe crunch outlasts the perfume. Still fine raw, better halved and stewed with sugar and a little lemon, which brings the rose scent back.
SkinStill bright, one shallow dull patch
SqueezeFirm, the skin just giving under a thumb
Crown and stem endCalyx browning at the lobes, scar still clean
SmellRose only when held right up to the nose