Honey tamarind plum
Dialium indum

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A large tree. It grows 20-25 m high. It can be 40 m tall with a trunk 80 cm across. The leaves are compound. The leaf is 10-20 cm long and hairy. The 5-9 leaflets occur alternately. They are oval and 7-10 cm long by 2.5-3 cm wide. The flower panicles can be at the ends of branches or in the axils of leaves. They are hairy and 10 cm long. The flowers do not have petals. The buds are 4-5 mm long. The fruit is a fleshy pod with black velvety rind. It is 2-3 cm long by 1.5-2 cm wide. There is one seed inside. The seed is oval and has marks along it. It is 1-1.5 cm long. The pod has edible sweet pulp.

There are about 40 Dialium species. They grow in tropical SE Asia. They probably all have edible fruit. Also as Caesalpinaceae.

Where it is found

It is a tropical plant. It suits a hot, wet tropical lowland climate. It grows in evergreen forest in southern Thailand. It occurs in moist places in valleys. It grows in swamp forest. In Borneo it grows up to 1,200 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Central America (country/location of origin), India, Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia (country/location of origin), Myanmar, Philippines, Sarawak, SE Asia, Singapore, Thailand (country/location of origin)

How it is used for food

The fruit is eaten fresh. It can be made into a toffee-like paste.

It is sold in markets.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seed.

Its other names

Local names

Asam belanda, Asam keranji, Asam kranji, Asam londo, Asam tjina, Asem china, Black tamarind, Damortis, Guayamochil, Kaa yee khao, Kamanchilis, Kamtsile, Kayi khow, Keran-keran, Keranji burong, Keranji padi, Keranji, Keranji papan, Ki ranji, Kranji, Kuran, Kuranji, Kway-tanyeng, Makham-khong, Makham-thet, Manila tamarind, Merbau kera, Pohon asam keranji madu, Pranji, Sepau, Samak penanggok, Taung-kaye

Synonyms

Dialium indum var. laurinum (Baker) Rojo; Dialium javanicum Burm. f.; Dialium laurinum Baker; Dialium marginatum de Wit; Dialium turbinatum de Wit;