Marang: Exotically Stinky, but Remarkably Delicious

Marang Fruit better than Durian

I have never tasted Marang fruit before, but I was happy I did so amidst the fact that it is exotically stinky. Yes, you may wish not to taste this fruit after smelling it. It stinks... it really does. But once you open this fruit, the flesh of its arils ( the seedlike internal structure of the fruit). It has a milky white appearance and once you place it on your tongue, you will forget about its stink because it taste sweet and addicting. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of arils for every fruit. So it is best to slowly savor its taste. 

Marang Fuit and Shaiya's Hand

The seeds are edible too!

Yes, these small marble-sized seeds can be eaten. Roast these seeds and you will enjoy its peanut taste, however it is crunchier than that. Much the same, you need to enjoy every moment because you will only have a few seeds to roast and enjoy, unless you buy dozens of Marang fruit, which requires a great deal of money.

Marang Fruit Facts:

• Similar with jack fruit but smaller
• The tree, like the one where we got the Marang Fruit, can grow up to twenty five feet tall.
• It grows only in warm and humid climate, which includes the Philippines and Borneo.
• It is called Tarap by some.
• It has an exotically stinky smell when ripe.
• It is best to harvest the fruit while it is mature but not yet ripe, to avoid rotting.

No need to use a knife. Once ripe, you just slightly press on it and it would open.

Nutritional Content

This information is courtesy of Lindsay:

“The nutritional content of marang is a bit hard to find as its not a well known fruit outside of the Philippines or those few fruit-obsessed circles. According tofruitipedia.com, the edible portion of the fruit is only 24-33% by weight, the rest being composed of seeds, skin, and core. Per 100 grams of edible flesh (seeds removed), marang contains between 265-510 calories depending on sweetness and water content, which varies widely between varieties. Other fun nutritional facts:


Composition:

65.7-84.2 grams of water

 0.8-1.7 grams protein

 2-3 grams of fat

32.4 grams of carbohydrate

Per 100 gram serving, Marang provides 17 mg calcium, 35 mg phosphorus, 2.1 mg iron, and 30 mg of Vitamin C.”

Cost in the Philippines Particularly in Mindananao, (because I am yet to find someone selling this in Antipolo City) is 40 to 50 per fruit, but they say you can buy it at a lower cost in the countryside, which I certainly believe so.

Unfortunately, marang is not allowed at the airport. I believe you know why. The smell would be unbearable. J J J

Picture Moments with the Marang Fruit:

We were simply having fun. It was a very stressful Sunday and I am so grateful for the Marang fruit. We were laughing hard with it...