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Four-pane collage illustrating the clean method for opening cempedak: scoring the stem, slicing the rind vertically, peeling back the skin, and harvesting the fresh fruit pods.
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How to Cut Open a Cempedak

Learn how to cut open and peel a cempedak cleanly with this step-by-step guide. Master the oil trick to completely avoid the sticky sap!
Prep Time5 minutes
Active Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Fruit, Snack
Cuisine: Fruit
Keyword: cempedak
Yield: 1 whole fruit
Cost: 10

Equipment

  • 1 knife
  • 1 old chopping board or cover with newspaper to stop the sap from ruining your chopping board
  • 1 knife

Materials

  • 1 ripe cempedak whole fruit
  • 2-3 tablespoon oil any cooking oil will work such as olive oil, canola oil, or coconut oil

Instructions

  • Step 1: Cut a "Hat" Around the Stem

    Hold the fruit securely on your protected surface. Take your well-oiled knife and carefully cut a circular "hat" entirely around the base of the stem at the top of the fruit. Do not cut all the way through the core; you are simply scoring a deep, circular ring through the tough outer skin surrounding the stem.
    A close-up of a person holding the sliced top rind section or "hat" of a cempedak fruit in the kitchen, demonstrating the first step of opening it.

  • Step 2: Slice Vertically Around the Fruit

    Next, place your knife at the top circular cut and slice vertically all the way down the length of the cempedak and around to the other side, essentially cutting the outer skin perfectly in half.
    A close-up of a person coating a large kitchen knife with cooking oil over a whole cempedak fruit to prevent sticky latex sap from sticking to the blade.

  • Step 3: Gauge Your Depth By Feel

    As you slice vertically, keep a light hand. Practice will help you know exactly how deep to cut. Your goal is to cut cleanly through the tough skin but completely miss the delicate fruit flesh hiding inside. Don't worry if it takes a couple of tries to get the hang of it—you can physically feel a sudden release in resistance once your blade has successfully passed through the fibrous, tough outer rind.

  • Step 4: Work Your Nails Under the Rind

    Now it’s time to peel. Find the vertical seam you just cut, and gently get your fingernails down between the inside of the skin and the fruit flesh. Slowly and methodically work your way around, using your fingers to pry and peel the skin away from the inner fruit mass.
    A close-up of a person using their fingernails to gently pry and peel the tough outer rind away from the inner cempedak fruit flesh.

  • Step 5: Peel Both Sides Clean

    Repeat the peeling process for both halves of the split skin. The rind should pull away cleanly from the pods. Keep in mind that a cempedak's readiness changes everything here: if the fruit is not ripe enough or if it is overripe, it becomes incredibly difficult to peel in this clean manner. You want a fruit that yields slightly to pressure and smells incredibly fragrant for the smoothest peel.
    A close-up of a person peeling the thick outer skin away from both sides of a split cempedak fruit, exposing the central core of golden pods.

  • Step 6: Lift the Fruit by the Stem!

    Once both sides of the skin are completely peeled back and removed, the ultimate culinary magic trick happens: now you can hold the entire fruit up by the stem! The central core will hold all the glorious, golden, custardy pods together in one beautiful, hanging cluster. From here, you can pull the pods off to bake a comforting breakfast cempedak cake or a unique, sweet cempedak pie.
    A close-up of a person holding a completely peeled cempedak fruit up by its central stem in the kitchen, showcasing the massive cluster of ripe golden fruit pods.

  • Step 7: Harvest Your Pods and Save the Seeds

    With the fruit suspended by its stem, simply pluck off the individual pods one by one. Use the intensely sweet fruit flesh immediately, freeze it for future treats, or save the inner seeds for a zero-waste kitchen trick!

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