Food, travel, recipe & sights » Ciku (Manilkara zapota L.)

Ciku (Manilkara zapota L.)

Do you like ciku? I hate ciku because of the following reasons:
1) ’sandy’ texture
2) sap that cling to the tongue
3) smells weird
4) hard to get the fruit to ripen
5) messy because hard to peel the skin
6) colour is not attractive
7) chore to spit out the seeds

ciku

Hahaha, why then do I feature it? Because of blogging. For the sake of sharing this fruit, I bought two cikus which are imported from Vietnam. It costs me about RM3, which is more expensive than huge Australian packham pears. I couldn’t resist it because of the nice leaves and also that CTG (whatever it means) sticker which made the fruit ‘imported’ looking.

However, I wasn’t disappointed at all because the fruit I bought was
1) sweet
2) flesh firm
3) no sandy texture, only smooth flesh
4) taste ‘creamy’
5) ripen the very next day I bought it
6) has no hairy skin (a little bit like a kiwi fruit)

Sorry it doesn’t look too good on photo, though.
ciku3

I hope not everyone share my dislike for this tropical fruit. BTW, does anyone know why we call green horns ‘young ciku’? I like to use it but do not know why.

Find out more about this fruit from the Sabah Government website. I am impressed they have written such a detailed explanation about ciku.

Posted by on May 26th, 2005 under Fruits

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No Responses to “Ciku (Manilkara zapota L.)”

  1. boo_licious Says:
    May 26th, 2005 at 2:22 am

    I must confess that I love cikus but I only buy them ready cut from the fruits stall. First I have heard that they have cikus from Vietnam, wonder where I can get them in KL.

  2. romantic Says:
    May 26th, 2005 at 6:02 am

    Memory is a bit vague but I think my grammy said the word “young chiku” was used .. as young chikus have that “white milk” and impossible to eat.- Referring to those who are still wet behind their ears and inexperienced.
    Chikus here Cdn $5.99 per LB. and not as sweet as those in Malaysia. Big ones from South America.

  3. hush4m3 Says:
    May 26th, 2005 at 7:39 am

    I love cikus!!! That’s one of the fruits that I have yet to see in US or at least in Michigan. Another thing that must not be forgotten when I go home. :) Thanks for reminding!!

  4. babe_kl Says:
    May 26th, 2005 at 9:11 am

    wow, i’m glad i’m not alone hehe cos i oso dun understand why i din like it. funnily, i gave my boiboi a bite a couple of weeks back and he spit it out! inherited kar?? he oso dislike nangka/cempedak which i oso dun like wor. he and i will say “stinko!!!” hehehe

  5. Lrong Says:
    May 26th, 2005 at 1:30 pm

    Yes, I love chikus… the sandy texture, the sweetness… everything…

  6. fishtail Says:
    May 26th, 2005 at 1:33 pm

    Ooh, I love chikus. Especially the sweet ones.

  7. fish fish Says:
    May 26th, 2005 at 4:05 pm

    Fish Fish definitely is a fetish towards ciku. When I was young, my relative got a very big and nice ciku tree. Argh~ I miss the nice smell of it after it was ripen inside rice “tong”. And the sweetness… melt me.

    Btw, lilian, Asian Vegan just made a nice Lor Han Chai inspired by urs. Kekeke…

  8. Eileen Chua Says:
    May 29th, 2005 at 7:56 am

    We have a ciku tree at home. When I was younger, we ate a lot… but now.. got fruits but they seems like they take ages to ripe!

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