Wood apple
Limonia acidissima · Tropical fruit
Top 10 pairings
Wood apple (Limonia acidissima), also called elephant apple, monkey fruit, curd fruit or by its Sinhala name divul, is a hard-shelled aromatic fruit of the citrus family (Rutaceae) native to South and Southeast Asia. Its greyish woody rind hides a sticky, brown, sweet-sour pulp full of seeds, prized for tangy chutneys, jams and cooling drinks across India and Sri Lanka.
Picking a good onedrag
Whole shell, dead-heavy, soundSplit, weeping, vinegary
Ripened throughEveryday bestCrack the shell with a hammer and scoop: eaten raw with sugar or jaggery, beaten with coconut milk into divul kiri, or cooked to chutney.
ShellGrey-brown, scuffed, a dry blemish or two
In the handHeavy, a dull knock, no give anywhere
Stalk endScar dry, faintly sunken, edges clean
Smell at the scarWarm tamarind, sweet-sour, faintly cheesy