Baccaurea costulata fruit

What it is

A fresh fruit is a round berry about 5 cm (2 in) across, holding three, sometimes four, seeds. The part you eat is the flesh wrapped around each seed. That is where the flavour sits: a strawberry-like taste followed by a bitter aftertaste.

Where it comes from

Red tampoi grows on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in Southeast Asia. The original specimen used to name the species came from near Palembang, in southern Sumatra. In Borneo, kampul is a Dayak name for it; red tampoi is another name used for the same species.

How it's eaten where it grows

In its home region, red tampoi is a fruit to eat raw, with the flesh around the seeds as the edible part. People gather it from wild trees for local use. In the Toba region of North Sumatra, it reaches local markets alongside its relative rambai.

How it's grown

The tree grows 10–30 m (33–98 ft) tall, with a dense crown and grey bark that flakes. It suits humid tropical conditions, and the fruit hangs in large clusters. Male and female flowers grow on separate trees, so a planting needs both sexes to produce fruit and seed.

When and where you'll find it

Red tampoi is a market fruit where it grows. In Borneo and in the Toba region of North Sumatra, fruit gathered from wild trees reaches local markets.

Outside its home islands it has travelled as seed: Trade Winds Fruit in Santa Rosa, California, has sold sprouting seeds to people growing tropical fruit trees.