Wood apple

Limonia acidissima · Tropical fruit

40 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 throughCrack the shell with a hammer and scoop: eaten raw with sugar or jaggery, beaten with coconut milk into divul kiri, or cooked to chutney.Everyday best

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

What to look for, from whole shell, dead-heavy, sound to split, weeping, vinegary.

Preparing