Cempedak
Also called ChempedakArtocarpus integer · Moraceae family
A fragrant jackfruit relative with soft edible segments and a place in both sweet and savory cooking.
Find it near DetroitGet to know it
Cempedak is a smaller, juicier relative of jackfruit, with soft, sweet yellow or orange flesh and a strong scent; its flavour recalls durian and mango. In Malaysia, the flesh becomes cempedak goreng: soft fruit inside a golden fried coating, eaten with afternoon tea.
What it is
A whole cempedak is cylindrical to almost round, about 20–35 cm (8–14 in) long and 10–15 cm (4–6 in) wide, and weighs 0.6–3.5 kg (1.3–7.7 lb). Its yellowish-green to brown rind is thick, leathery and bumpy, and smells strongly when ripe. Inside, soft flesh surrounds each seed.
The flesh is usually yellow or orange, sometimes white to pinkish, with a sweet flavour that brings durian and mango to mind. Compared with jackfruit, ripe cempedak is darker yellow and juicier. The seeds are another edible part: boiled or roasted, they taste nutty.
Where it comes from
Cempedak is a Southeast Asian fruit. It grows from Tenasserim in Burma and peninsular Thailand through Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo to Sulawesi, the Moluccas and Irian Jaya, and is planted there and in western Java.
It is grown in home gardens and sometimes in mixed orchards. In 1987, Malaysia’s cempedak came to about 6,130 ha (15,100 acres) of trees. In its season the fruit is prominent and very popular in local markets.
How it's eaten where it grows
In Malaysia, cempedak goreng is an afternoon-tea snack. Pieces of fruit are coated in a flour-and-water batter, then fried until golden. An older way presses two or three pieces together and dips them in rice flour, sugar, milk and water before frying for about 10 minutes.
The fritters can also come with a sweet sauce: gula melaka, a palm sugar, is simmered with water, then mixed with coconut milk. Young, unripe fruit is cooked in coconut milk as a curried vegetable or in soup.
How it's grown
Cempedak grows on an evergreen tree up to 20 m (66 ft) tall, in the mulberry family alongside jackfruit and breadfruit. It is strictly tropical, at home where there is no distinct dry season, and thrives on fertile, well-drained soil. Flower heads emerge directly from the trunk and branches.
A tree raised from seed usually begins bearing in 3–6 years; trees copied from a selected parent by budding or grafting can start at 2–4 years. Each fruit takes 3–6 months to mature.
When and where you'll find it
In Peninsular Malaysia, the main harvest usually runs from June through August. Western Java’s fruit usually ripens from September through December; North Queensland’s from February through May.
Frozen pulp is another form: RedMan, a Singapore baking-supply shop, lists seedless cempedak pulp in 1 kg (2.2 lb) packs, with cempedak as the only ingredient, for milkshakes, pancakes and fruit tarts.
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What it tastes like
As soft as a banana, sweeter than a peach≈
More about the taste
Cempedak has soft, sometimes mushy flesh with a strong characteristic odor and sweet flavor, often compared to durian and mango.
Cempedak has soft, sometimes mushy flesh with a strong characteristic odor and sweet flavor, often compared to durian and mango.
The orange flesh around the seeds is sweet and pungent.
Choose, eat
1ChooseYellowish-green to brown rind
Look for
- Yellowish-green to brown rind
- Thick, leathery, bumpy
Ripe rind ranges from yellowish-green to brown, thick, leathery and bumpy.
2EatFleshy portions, Boiled or roasted seeds
Eat
Fleshy portionsBoiled or roasted seedsThe fleshy portions around the seeds are eaten fresh or cooked. The seeds themselves can be boiled or roasted.
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
6 growing areas, 3 countriesUsual monthsOur estimated monthsToday, Oct 22
- Johor
- Pahang
- Penang
- Queensland
- West Java
- You
1 of 3 areas · October
Growing areas by country
- Malaysia4
- Australia1
- Indonesia1
In Malaysia, battered and fried cempedak is a delicacy. Young fruit is cooked in coconut milk, curries or soup.
29 varieties
- No variety photo yetAsunAlso CH31
- No variety photo yetBekahAlso CH32
- No variety photo yetCempedak NangkaAlso CH17
- No variety photo yetCH19
- No variety photo yetChinAlso CH33
- No variety photo yetHasarAlso CH36
28 names in 11 languages
- CempedakbaumGerman
Cook it
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If you like Cempedak
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Sources
Sources
Cempedak · Fruitopia · checked Sep 22, 2026