Artocarpus rigidus fruit
Also called Monkey JackArtocarpus rigidus · Moraceae family
A spiny forest fruit whose orange pulp deserves its own name.
Find it near DetroitGet to know it
Perian, the fruit of Artocarpus rigidus, hides sweet, waxy orange pulp beneath a round, spiny skin. It is a relative of jackfruit and cempedak. In Malaysia, near-ripe segments also go into pengat, a sweet coconut-milk dish.
What it is
The fruit cluster is round and can reach 10 cm (4 in) across. Its skin changes from greenish-yellow to dull orange as it ripens. Stiff, cone-shaped spines cover the outside; inside, the orange pulp wraps around the seeds.
That pulp is the part eaten fresh. The seeds are food too, after boiling or roasting.
Where it comes from
The tree is native to Sumatra, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and Borneo. In Indonesia it is occasionally planted as a fruit tree. The same tree supplies wood for beams, furniture and boats.
Its Malaysian names change with place: in parts of Perak it is jias or jas, while in Pahang it is perian.
How it's eaten where it grows
In Malaysia, fruit that is nearly ripe goes into bubur or pengat. The segments cook with coconut milk and a little palm sugar, either gula kabong from the sugar palm or gula melaka. Sago starch or corn starch can thicken the mixture.
This preparation uses the fruit before full ripeness. The pulp is also eaten fresh, and the seeds can be boiled or roasted for a separate bite.
How it's grown
Perian is an evergreen forest tree that can grow large, with supporting ridges called buttresses at the base of its trunk. It grows on well-drained flat ground and hillsides, sometimes near streams. In Indonesia it is occasionally planted for fruit, alongside its value as a source of timber.
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What it tastes like
The orange, waxy pulp around the seeds is sweet. The spiny fruit cluster changes from greenish yellow to dull orange as it ripens.
The orange, waxy pulp around the seeds is described as sweet and tasty.
Choose, eat
1ChooseGreen-yellow to orange
Look for
- Green-yellow to orange
- Waxy orange pulp
Ripe fruit changes from green-yellow to orange, with waxy orange pulp around the seeds.
2EatPulp, Roasted or boiled seeds · not raw seeds
Eat
PulpRoasted or boiled seedsNot eaten
Raw seedsThe pulp is eaten fresh; the seeds are roasted or boiled before eating, not eaten raw.
Detroit, Michigan
When it’s good hereUsual monthsJust arrivedAt their bestLast chanceAll yearWhere it is in its usual monthsToday, Oct 22Grown hereIn season in your stateShips fromIn season where it grows
8 names in 6 languages
- temponekroot
- 猴面果Chinese
Cook it
Strange but trueA record
Sources
Sources
Artocarpus rigidus fruit · Fruitopia · checked Sep 23, 2026
- anakagronomy.com
- heritagetrees.nparks.gov.sg
- idristalu.blogspot.com
- nparks.gov.sg
- plantuse.plantnet.org
- thbif.onep.go.th
- whpc2560-2561.blogspot.com
What we don't know yet
Descriptions of its taste vary: some call the pulp sweet, others call the seed covering sweet-sour.