Kemantan
Mangifera torquenda · Anacardiaceae family
A forest mango relative with pleasantly acid pulp and an important rind distinction.
Find it near DetroitGet to know it
Kemantan is a round forest mango with pale-yellow, pleasantly tart flesh and a faint resinous smell. Its smooth yellow-green skin hides a large seed, but the flesh parts from it easily: only a few thin fibres hold the two together.
What it is
Kemantan is Mangifera torquenda. The fruit is about 7.5 cm (3 in) long, sometimes reaching 10 cm (4 in). Darker dots mark the smooth skin when ripe. Inside, the pale-yellow flesh tastes pleasantly sour and carries a light turpentine-like scent. Only a few thin fibres hold it to the single large seed.
Where it comes from
Kemantan grows in Sumatra and Borneo. In the forest, trees stand scattered through the evergreen lowlands. People also plant it in Kalimantan and southern Sumatra, with cultivation especially common locally in East Kalimantan. Both planted trees and wild forest trees supply fruit for local eating.
How it's eaten where it grows
In Borneo, the sour flesh goes into sambals, the chilli condiments served with a meal, and into fish dishes. Its juice also makes cordials. For fresh eating, a cut around the fruit lets the two halves twist apart, freeing the flesh from the seed. The pulp is the edible part; sap from the rind is irritating.
How it's grown
This is a large evergreen tree, reaching up to 40 m (131 ft), with a dense, rounded crown of dark-green leaves. It belongs to the humid lowland tropics, where rain falls throughout the year. New trees are raised from seed.
When and where you'll find it
Kemantan is often planted in Borneo, especially in eastern Kalimantan, and the fresh fruit is often sold in local markets there. Local names change across the islands: asam putaran in Kalimantan, rade in Sarawak and tayas in southern Sumatra all name this mango relative.
Get it near Detroit
Sell fruit online? Add your business
What it tastes like
Kemantan's pulp is pleasantly acidic, unlike the sweetness of a familiar dessert mango.
Kemantan's pulp is pleasantly acidic, unlike the sweetness of a familiar dessert mango.
Choose, eat
1ChooseRounded
Look for
- Rounded
- Smooth yellow-green skin
- Darker dots
Ripe kemantan is rounded, with smooth yellow-green skin and darker dots.
2EatPulp
Eat
PulpOnly the pulp is eaten; the sap from the rind is irritating and should be avoided.
Detroit, Michigan
When it’s good here
Season not documented for Michigan.