Rajeev's World: The Sweetness Of Penang...

One discovery leads to another. After exploring the role spices played in the colonial geopolitics of Penang, we went further to the Tropical Fruit Farm to revel in the sweetness of tropical fruit that are now grown in Penang.

Located at a height of about 240 metres, on the hills of Teluk Bahang, this is an ideal location for growing a vast array of tropical and sub-tropical fruit. The orchard covers about 25 acres and was developed in 1993 to conserve rare and exotic fruit trees and grow them in a sustainable fashion, train locals in farming techniques and provide for eco-tourism opportunities.

At the main gate of the farm, we were joined by a couple of honeymooners from Oman and Qatar as well as some Australians. We hopped on to van operated by the farm to take us up the hill. The drive up the steep hill was quite exciting as it was a dirt road - it appeared that vehicles could easily skid, but we were assured by the driver that was not the case.

Sadly, this isn't the season for avocados, one of my favourite foods...

The red pineapple, unlike the conventional pineapple, isn't an edible fruit because of its extreme sourness. It is instead used for ornamental purposes...

The conventional pineapple - the edible kinds...

Chikoos growing, they are not quite ripe yet...

The dragon fruit plantation...

We had particularly relished dragon fruit during our trip to China in 2013, but seeing them grow was indeed interesting...

Another fruit that we like a lot - passion fruit...

Each fruit is painstakingly wrapped in plastic to prevent birds from eating them up...

The Barbados cherry - they aren't quite ripe yet...

It's said to have amazing antioxidant properties...

The miracle fruit is so called because after eating it, lemons miraculously taste sweet. That's because it has a high concentration of an enzyme called miraculin...

The Peruvian apple is actually a cactus with an edible fruit...

Sadly, our guide explained that this wasn't the season of this fruit...

I cannot imagine a breakfast at home without the humble banana. Not only is it filling, it is also a rich source of potassium and magnesium...

The banana flower which is a delicacy in itself...

What an idyllic place to stop by for a while - the shade was quite comforting...

The king of fruit, the mango. And I just went mmmm thinking of the lovely mango cream that Neeti makes...

Another one of our favourite fruits, the papaya or the paw-paw...

The Australian explores the raw papaya...

Truly exotic - white mulberry...

The santol tree - the edible fruit is eaten raw and is also used in Thai cooking, especially for the yummy prawns they make...

The velvet apple, native to the Philippines, is an edible fruit with a fine, velvety red fur-like skin...

The inside of the velvet apple fruit is a soft, creamy, pink flesh. Its taste and aroma is comparable to fruit cream cheese (some compare it to rotten cheese or cat feces, inspiring names like the French name "Caca de Chat" in Reunion Island)...

That reminds of the offensive durian that I had come to love a lot. I am told this isn't the season for the durian, which disappointed me a lot...

Custard apple - if ain't had the sitafal ice-cream of Naturals, in Mumbai, what have you had?

Protecting the custard apples from birds...

Its so hot - the shade beckons...

Stevia again, reminds us of our trip to the spice garden...

Roses add a little more colour...

The guayabilla, a Colombian fruit...

Brack water mangrove fruit has several medicinal properties...

Coconut...

Next we sampled fruit enzymes...

Fruit enzyme is the liquid made by a fermentation processes that releases enzymes from fruits. It being made by adding pineapple chunks and raw brown sugar to pieces of other fruit and letting it ferment at room temperature for 2 to 3 weeks...

The resulting liquid is then decanted, refrigerated and consumed within 1 month. The usual dosage is about 30ml taken 1 hour before or after meals. The enzymes are said to be beneficial for various ailments...