Also known as the Custard Apple or Sweetsop, I thought for the longest time that this was Milk Fruit but it’s actually Custard Apple. In Khmer, it’s called ផ្លែទៀប (plae tieb). It’s a sweet fruit with a mild citrusy taste. It has many large seeds that are smooth and quite solid. The outer shell peels off easily when the fruit is ripe.
Crystal had a wave of nostalgia when eating it for the first time here and said that it was a long forgotten taste from her childhood in Brazil. At the time I still thought this was Milk Fruit and told her the wrong name in English!
Important Edit: Do not eat the seeds. Catherine got a mild case of cyanide poisoning from them.
Can you bake with it? And will you be celebrating Thanksgiving? Please write about what kinds of traditions and foods Cambodians enjoy during the Holiday’s.
It’s a very creamy fruit and I’ve often seen it used in smoothies on the street. I bet you could bake with it but it’s probably more common to use it as is. It’s rare to see fruits baked here.
We will be hosting Thanksgiving for the team here…but probably not on Thursday. It’s not a holiday here. Instead, we’ll probably host a meal on Thanksgiving Sunday. Crystal was making some plans with another volunteer this morning.
Unfortunately, I missed the two big holidays since we arrived – Pchum Ben and Water Festival. I will write about them more in coming years. Traditionally, Cambodians do not celebrate many of the same holidays that we do (or personal birthdays) but have many of their own holidays. ‘International New Years’ on January 1 is one holiday that we share in common. They also celebrate Khmer New Year (in April) and Chinese New Year (late January/early February). In the city, there is growing interest in Christmas and Halloween (and personal birthdays).
Mmmmm….yum!
Precious photo! Your children are indeed lucky to be exposed to another culture and way of life! I enjoy reading your posts!