13 Exotic Asian Fruits You Need to Try (A Local’s Guide)

Ever looked at a spiky, vibrant fruit in a market and wondered, "Can I actually eat that?" My name is Georgia, and after living in South East Asia for 9 years, I’ve become obsessed with the world of tropical fruits. From the "smelly" durian to the succulent mangosteen, Southeast Asia is a goldmine of flavors and health benefits. Whether you're visiting a wet market in Kuala Lumpur or browsing a specialty store in the USA, here are the 13 must-try fruits from my personal favorites list.

australian girl sharing fruit from asia with millions of views on socials — This is me at our local wet market in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This was during covid (spot the mask!). Here I'm buying mangoes but actually mangoes don't even make my list because there are some way cooler and more exotic fruits that I want you to try instead!

asian fruits at a food market in Thailand — A typical food market in South East Asia. This is taken in Phuket, Thailand

fruit from asia on australian expat living in malaysia kitchen bench — Tropical fruits from Asia. This is fruit haul I did from my local wet market here in Malaysia.

1. Durian (The King of Fruits)

Dubbed the king of all Asian fruits, durian is famous for its distinctive flavor and aroma. People go absolutely nuts over it, and it’s considered a pricey delicacy that gets shipped worldwide.

The Taste: The taste of durian is a complex mix of sweet, savoury, and creamy notes. Also, something that many newbies to this fruit don't know, is that the taste of durian will vary depending on which durian type you try. Experienced durian lovers will usually go for a more pungent durian, whereas a beginner should choose a milder and sweeter type of durian.
Georgia’s Insight: I actually hated my first try! To love it, you have to eat it fresh.
Where to try: Where and when to try durian, durian types, as well as what durian tastes like, is something I cover in more detail in my ultimate guide to durian.
Recipes: Check out my durian sticky rice recipe or my easy durian icecream recipe!
IG Video: Watch my Durian tasting guide for beginners

A screenshot of a viral video of girl getting foreigners to try durian for the first time — Watch me introduce durian to beginners

a big pile of fresh smelly durian in Malaysian food market — A pile of durians in Malaysia during durian season.

Musang King Durian fruit opened to show creamy yellow flesh on a plastic table. — The Musang King in Malaysia

2. Cempedak (The Sweeter Cousin)

Fresh cempedak can be hard to find, but in Malaysia, it’s easily available deep-fried as Cempedak Goreng—one of the country's most famous street food dishes!

The Taste: Like jackfruit but much creamier and also much sweeter. It is quite similar to durian and is a great fruit to try first.
Georgia's insight: Don't throw away the seeds! They are actually edible and extremely versatile. Check out my in depth guide on how to cook cempedak seeds.
Recipes: Checkout my archive of cempedak recipes including: Chocolate Cempedak Spread, Fried Cempedak Fritters, Breakfast Cempedak Cake, Cempedak Vanilla Cake Icing, Cempedak Pie, Cempedak Spice Latte, Cempedak Icecream Popsicples, and Cempedak Icecream.
IG Video: Click here to watch what cempedak looks like and how to open one as well as my most viral cempedak recipe, Mandai

A screenshot of a viral IG video of girl showing how to cut open a cempedak fruit — Watch me show my IG followers how to cut open a cempedak

A screenshot of a viral instagram video of girl making cempedak recipe, mandai

Close-up of ripe Cempedak fruit with honey-colored pods, an exotic jackfruit alternative. — This is me showing my IG followers how to cut open a cempedak

3. Mangosteen (The Queen of Fruits)

Mangosteen is easily one of my favorite tropical fruits! I can't believe I had never heard of this delicious, sweet fruit until moving to Southeast Asia. Inside, it looks a bit like garlic at first glance, but the flesh should be plump, juicy, and pure white. Nothing like garlic!

The Taste: Tangy, sweet, and refreshing.
Georgia’s Insight: You can tell how many segments are inside by counting the "star" petals on the bottom! Watch my mangosteen IG video to learn how to do this.
IG Video: I share The Secret "No-Knife" Method to Opening Mangosteen with my niece who had never tried mangosteen before.
Recipes: Learn how to make mangosteen sorbet!

A screenshot of an instagram video of girl sharing the purple asian fruit mangosteen

A screenshot of a video showing how to count the stars of a mangosteen — Watch this IG video showing how to count the inside pieces of the mangosteen.

A large box of the purple asian fruit, mangosteen at a local wet market

Purple mangosteen fruit cracked open to reveal white segments, the Queen of Fruits.

4. Jackfruit

Jackfruit is a large spiky fruit and is part of the same plant family as durian and cempedak. This is why they look so similar! How to tell the difference between a jackfruit and a cempedak can actually be quite tricky!

The Taste: Ripe jackfruit is sweet with a tropical flavor and a slightly crunchy texture. There are difference types of jackfruit that vary in sweetness. In Malaysia, the honey jackfruit is the most sweet and most tasty in my opinion!
Georgia's insight: Jackfruit can be eaten fresh (ripe jackfruit), or cooked in curries and stews as a vegan meat substitute (young jackfruit). Ripe jackfruit is yellow and sweet whereas, young jackfruit is white in color and harder to touch.
Interesting to know: Young jackfruit has become popular in the West as a vegan meat substitute, such as this jackfruit popcorn chicken recipe. But, did you know that locally in Southeast Asia it is mostly eaten as the ripe raw fruit or in a sweet dessert like Es Teller in Indonesia?
Recipes: Check out my other jackfruit recipes such as jackfruit sorbet and jackfruit icecream.
IG Video: One of my most popular recipes on IG is this dairy free jackfruit cheesecake that is made with the ripe jackfruit.

A screenshot of a viral video of girl making raw cheesecake with ripe jackfruit — Watch me make my viral jackfruit cheesecake recipe!

Several jackfruit in a box in a supermarket in Southeast Asia — Jackfruit in my local supermarket in Malaysia

yellow ripe jackfruit flesh in a pile on a white kitchen bench — A bunch of ripe jackfruit. The yellow color means it is ripe. Inside is the jackfruit seed.

5. Rambutan

Rambutan is a hairy-looking tropical fruit. It can be red or yellow, with red being the most common. Click here for my ultimate guide to rambutan!

The Taste: Similar to lychee but firmer and crunchier. I personally prefer rambutans to lychees and many people agree with me!
Georgia’s Insight: Don't let the hairy exterior scare you! Its very tasty.
Recipes: You can make rambutan jam , rambutan icecream, rambutan popsicles, rambutan pudding, rambutan cheesecake, rambutan juice or a local favorite is rambutan asinan.
IG Video: To understand how to peel a rambutan and to see more of what they look like, watch my IG reel where I show my followers this delicious tropical fruit.

A screenshot of a video of a girl sharing details about the red hairy Asian fruit, rambutan — Watch me share with my followers about rambutan.

Hairy red Rambutan fruits in a basket. — red rambutan

Hairy red Rambutan fruit, peeled to show translucent white fruit. — peeled red rambutan with translucent white fruit inside.

6. Dragon Fruit (Pitaya)

Dragon fruit is one of the most fascinating fruits out there! It comes in three varieties—red, white, and yellow. Inside, it has bright white or deep purple flesh, speckled with tiny black seeds.

The Taste: Mildly sweet and crunchy, like a kiwi but softer and not tangy. The yellow dragonfruit is usually the most sweet!
Georgia's Insight: The sweetness varies greatly! Some dragonfruits are incredibly sweet, whilst others taste like nothing! If you get a bland one, don't give up - keep trying, and you'll eventually find a juicy, flavorful one!
Interesting watch: Let me show you the three simple ways to cut a dragon fruit in my YouTube video as well as my in-depth guide.
Recipes: Check out my archive of dragonfruit recipes including a local favorite, dragonfruit sambal!
IG Video: Learn how to tell the difference between red and white dragonfruit in my IG video. I also share this with my niece on my IG!

A screenshot of a video of a girl standing behind white and pink dragon fruit sliced in half, exposing the bright pink and white flesh with black seeds — How to tell the difference between a white vs red dragonfriut

vibrant yellow and purples dragonfruit in a bunch at a market in thailand — Dragonfruit at a market in Thailand

Vibrant pink dragon fruit sliced in half on a wooden table — Red dragonfruit

A yellow dragonfruit sliced in half in Thailand with the beach in the background — Yellow dragonfruit

7. Salak (Snakefruit)

Snakefruit, or Salak, is a tropical fruit native to Indonesia and grown across Southeast Asia. It gets its name from its scaly skin, which resembles a snake’s.

The Taste: A crunchy mix of apple and pineapple. Inside, it has a single large seed.
Georgia's insight: Make sure the scales of the fruit are shiny. I have seen salak sold in Thailand that has gone bad; the skin has a dusty look to it when the fruit is no longer fresh.
IG Video: Watch me open and describe one of the world's strangest fruits, salak!

A screenshot of a viral video showing salak fruit, also known as snake fruit

A large wooden bowl of salak fruit or snake fruit, taken from above, showing the brown scaly skin — A bowl of snake fruit.

A peeled snake fruit or salad fruit, showing the white crunchy flesh — A peeled snake fruit. Each white piece of flesh has a hard black seed inside.

8. Ciku (Sapodilla)

The Taste: Like a pear soaked in maple syrup.
Georgia’s Insight: It looks like a potato but tastes like dessert!
Recipe: Ciku or sapodilla is delicious on it's own, but you can try this sapodilla smoothie recipe.
IG video: Watch me share this fruit with followers as well as share this fruit with my friends!

A screenshot of a video of an Australian girl living in Malaysia, holding a sapodilla fruit — Watch me show my IG followers what a ciku looks and tastes like.

A screenshot of a video of a girl holding a sapodilla about to share it with her friends — Watch me share this fruit with my friends!

A large box of sapodilla fruit at a fruit market in Southeast Asia — A box of ciku / sapodilla at a wet market in Southeast Asia

a girl holding a sapodilla fruit, sliced in half, ready to eat — Sapodilla / Ciku fruit sliced in half and ready to eat

9. Longan (Dragons Eye)

On the outside, a longan is similar to a lychee, but it has a thinner, lighter-colored shell. On the Inside, it looks similar to lychee as well, with a juicy, translucent white flesh.

The Taste: A deliciously juicy and sweet fruit. Similar to a lychee!
Longan VS Langsat: Longan and langsat look very similar, and even I’ve confused them before! While their exteriors are hard to tell apart, the difference is inside—longan has a single, round, juicy flesh, while langsat peels away in slices, like garlic or mangosteen. If you get the chance to try langsat then make sure you do too!
IG Video: Watch me share longan as one of the fruits I hadn't tried before moving to Malaysia! You can also watch me share a langsat fruit as well.

A screenshot of a girl holding a bunch of longan fruit — Watch me share longan with my IG followers!

a screenshot of a video of a girl holding a longan fruit in her hands, peeled and ready to eat

a girls hand holding a bunch of longan fruit with a Thailand beach in the background — Longan fruit in Thailand

Langsat fruit being peeled open, exposing the translucent white flesh — This is the langsat fruit

10. Pulasan

The Taste: Like a "superior" rambutan—chewier and sweeter.
Georgia’s Insight: "Pulasan" means "twist" in Malay—which is how you open them! Watch me share this trick with my niece!
Interesting Recipe: You can actually eat the pulasan seeds! Watch this recipe to learn how.
IG Video: Watch this viral IG video to see what pulasan looks like!

a large bunch of pulasan in a bowl, a red spiky tropical fruit — A large bowl of pulasan.

A hand holding an asian fruit, pulasan, sliced in half, showing the translucent white flesh — Pulasan cut in half.

A screenshot of an instagram video of two girls holding the pulasan fruit, about to eat it. — Watch me share pulasan with my niece!

a screenshot of a viral instagram video of a girl sharing the pulasan fruit from asia — An instagram video of me eating pulasan.

11. Soursop (Custard Apple)

Soursop, also known as sugar apple or custard apple, has a spiky green exterior and a creamy white interior.

The Taste: It's creamy interior is sweet and tangy, and is often compared to a mix of pineapple and strawberry.
Interesting Recipe: Packed with vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants, it’s well known as a superfruit and can be enjoyed as a soursop juice or soursop smoothie.
TikTok Video: Watch me share this fruit with my followers as well as trying it with my friends for the first time!

a screenshot of a tiktok video of a girl holding a soursop, sliced in hald, exposing the creamy interior and black seeds

12. Papaya

The Taste: Papaya is a tropical fruit with soft, orange flesh and a sweet but mild flavor. Its smooth texture is similar to rock melon.
Georgia's insight: Papaya is likely available where you live, but if you're visiting Malaysia, you must try it! It’s actually Malaysia’s national fruit, and the papayas here are truly special.
Interesting to know: You can eat the papaya seeds! This is how to cut a papaya, step by step!
Recipes to try: I have a very large archive of papaya recipes you should try! But if I could only recommend a few, I'd recommend this 2 ingredient papaya pudding, a papaya smoothie, or baked papaya.
IG Video: A popular and unique recipe that I have shared with my followers is this papaya cheesecake recipe!

a bunch of large maradol papayas on a wooden bench — Papaya's at a local wet market

A hand holding a ripe papaya, sliced in half to show the orange flesh and black seeds in the centre — A local Malaysian papaya cut in half

A screenshot of a viral instagram video of a girl making a papaya cheesecake — Click here to watch me make my viral papaya cheesecake!

13. Starfruit

Starfruit is a tropical fruit with a distinct star shape when sliced—hence its name!

The Taste: Its sweet and tangy flavor is often compared to a mix of apple, grape, and citrus.
Georgia's insight: I’ve only ever tried green starfruit, which was very tart—I didn’t like it at all! However, I’ve heard that the sweet variety can be quite delicious.