Entawak
Artocarpus anisophyllus · Moraceae family
Orange flesh from a forest tree native to Borneo.
Find it near DetroitGet to know it
Entawak is a spiky jackfruit relative with soft orange flesh around hard seeds. Ripe fruit tastes sweet and smells fragrant, but in Landak, West Kalimantan, many people prefer it mature and still unripe for its more savoury taste.
What it is
Also called mentawa or mentawak, this rounded fruit reaches about 11 by 8 cm (4.3 by 3.1 in). Short, stiff projections cover its green-yellow skin. A ripe fruit splits open easily with bare hands, revealing bright orange flesh.
Each soft mouthful surrounds a hard seed, roughly 1.7 cm (0.7 in) long. The flesh and seeds are separate foods: the flesh is eaten as fruit, while the seeds are dried and fried.
Where it comes from
Entawak is native to Borneo, Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia. On Borneo its names change: mentawa in Kalimantan, bintawak in Sarawak and tarapikal in Brunei. In West Kalimantan’s Landak district, villages supply fruit to the market at Senakin and roadside sellers in Ngabang.
How it's eaten where it grows
In Landak, eating mentawa before it is fully ripe is a tradition passed between generations. People choose fruit that has reached full maturity but is still unripe, favouring its savoury taste over the sweetness of the fully ripe flesh. The seeds are eaten too, dried and then fried.
How it's grown
Entawak is an evergreen forest tree with broad, flared roots around the base of its trunk. It grows among other trees beside rivers and streams, as well as on hillsides and ridges. The tree supplies more than food: its bark is used locally to make rope for backpacks.
When and where you'll find it
Village markets and roadside fruit tables are part of entawak’s route to the eater in West Kalimantan. On 15 August 2018, fruit from Sidik Kayuaga in Gombang reached Senakin market. In nearby Ngabang, roadside traders also sold mentawa brought from Menyuke and Sengah Temila.
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What it tastes like
The flesh is orange-red, sweet and fragrant, with a soft texture around hard seeds.
The flesh is orange-red, sweet and fragrant, with a soft texture around hard seeds.
Choose, eat
1ChoosePartly ripe fruit
Look for
- Partly ripe fruit
In interior West Kalimantan, people often prefer partly ripe fruit.
2EatOrange flesh
Eat
Orange fleshThe orange flesh is eaten fresh. The seeds are also used, but there isn't enough detail here for a cooking method.
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 5 languages
- mentawakroot
- Keledang BabiMalay
Strange but trueWhere the name came from
Sources
Sources
Entawak · Fruitopia · checked Sep 22, 2026