All the fruits in Bali

You can buy fruits in Bali year-round, but each fruit has its own 'season.' During this time, the fruit is widely available, you can find different varieties, the fruits are especially juicy, and prices are the lowest.

Not all fruits grow in Bali; some are imported from other islands or countries. But for tourists, this doesn't really matter.

You can buy fruits in stores, at markets, or from small mobile carts where they are already cut into pieces.

I recommend buying whole fruits whenever possible. Sliced fruits can spoil relatively quickly in the heat and lose their nutritional value, even if they are kept on ice. If you can't get whole fruits, try to buy them in places where they are cut up right in front of you.

If you're buying at a market, it's perfectly fine to ask to taste a fruit, especially if it's something small like bananas.

In markets, Balinese and Indonesians often sell fruits for their own consumption. Therefore, they are usually seasonal, local, and the selection is not very extensive.

You can also buy fruits in large supermarkets, where the selection may sometimes be greater than in markets. Supermarkets may import fruits from other islands in Indonesia or from abroad. Some recommended supermarkets include Frestive, Pepito, Grand Lucky, Hypermart, Hardy's, Bintang, Delta Dewata.

Season: October - February

General description and selection recommendations: Bali has many different types of mangoes. They are mostly green-skinned, but this doesn't affect their taste quality. During the season, they are very sweet and juicy. The mango season in Bali is roughly from October to January, but you can still buy mangoes in other months, though there will be fewer varieties, higher prices, and the fruits may not be as juicy and aromatic. One of the most delicious varieties during the season is Manalagi and Harum Manis.

Mango can be peeled in two ways. The first method is to cut off the skin and eat it whole or cut it into pieces. The second method is to cut the mango in half, run a knife along the inner side of the flesh horizontally and vertically several times, creating small squares. Then, turn them outward and eat the resulting cube-like pieces. By the way, mango makes excellent jam and facial masks.

Local name: Wani Biji, in English, you can call it White mango.

Season: December - March

General description and selection recommendations: a quite unique fruit that grows only in Bali. It has a moderately sweet taste, but it's an acquired taste. It's definitely worth trying! When it's ripe, it can be very delicious when chilled. It also has a pleasant and interesting aroma. Usually, it's not peeled; instead, it's cut open and eaten. Buying it is similar to mango - it should be slightly soft.

Pineapple 

Season: year-round

General description and selection recommendations: similar to mango, yellow pineapples are juicier and sweeter. Green pineapples are more acidic and are better suited for cooking. Before buying, give the fruit a sniff. A ripe pineapple will have a fragrant aroma even through the skin. The easiest way to peel a pineapple is as follows: first, cut off both ends. Then, with the "base" standing vertically, cut off the skin in vertical strips, moving in a circular motion. After that, cut the pineapple lengthwise into 4 segments. Remove the tough core from each piece (the sharp corner of each segment) and slice it into pieces.

Season: year-round

Varieties: There are many varieties of bananas on Bali. They differ in length, shape, fruit size, and, of course, taste.

General description and selection recommendations: Bali has a wide variety of banana types. Personally, I like pisang susu (milk bananas) the most - they are small, chubby, and round. Delicious and sweet.

Green bananas can also be very tasty; don't think that green means unripe. However, they can also be very firm. Locals buy them for cooking.

Good bananas can be found on Bali almost year-round.

Rambutans are very cheap during the season:

Season: May-October

General description and selection recommendations: Mangosteen is known for its sweet and tangy flavor. The fruit has a thick, purple rind, and the edible flesh inside is white and juicy. To choose a ripe mangosteen, look for fruits with a firm, unblemished skin and a green calyx at the stem end. Press gently on the skin; it should yield slightly when ripe. You can easily open it by pressing on the top or using a knife to make a shallow cut around the middle. The fruit is typically divided into segments, similar to garlic cloves, and the flesh can be easily scooped out with a spoon. Mangosteen is often referred to as the "queen of fruits" and is highly regarded for its delicious taste.

Season: May-October

General description and selection recommendations: Mangosteen is known for its sweet and tangy flavor. The fruit has a thick, purple rind, and the edible flesh inside is white and juicy. To choose a ripe mangosteen, look for fruits with a firm, unblemished skin and a green calyx at the stem end. Press gently on the skin; it should yield slightly when ripe. You can easily open it by pressing on the top or using a knife to make a shallow cut around the middle. The fruit is typically divided into segments, similar to garlic cloves, and the flesh can be easily scooped out with a spoon. Mangosteen is often referred to as the "queen of fruits" and is highly regarded for its delicious taste.

Season: June - September

General description and selection recommendations: Lengkeng, also known as Longan, are small, round fruits with sandy-brown skin. While they may not look appetizing at first, the fruit inside is quite juicy. The taste is sweet but not overly so, making it a pleasant snack. Lengkeng fruits are easy to peel, and the flesh separates easily from the seed. However, if they are stored for an extended period, the flesh can dry out, making them harder to peel. Inside, there is a firm, smooth seed. Enjoy Lengkeng by peeling them and eating the sweet, translucent flesh, discarding the seed.

Season: Year-round

General description and selection recommendations: Papaya is a large, elongated fruit. Typically, ripe papayas have orange skin, but they can also be slightly green. The flesh of a ripe fruit is orange, soft, and juicy. It has a mild, sweet taste, somewhat reminiscent of carrots. Papaya is a very healthy fruit for the stomach, and for preventive purposes, it's recommended to start the day with a few pieces of papaya. Papaya doesn't have a continuous season in Bali. During the season, it is ripe and very affordable, but out of season, it is green.

Season: June - September

General description and selection recommendations: Also known as the custard apple tree. Sirsak is used to make ice cream, desserts, salads, and is also eaten fresh or added to shakes. The fruits are harvested while they are still green and unripe because ripe fruits tend to split open when they fall to the ground. After harvesting, they are stored in a warm place where the fruits ripen and become soft.

You can eat the flesh of the fruit with a spoon or cut it into cubes and eat it with a fork. It's consumed in a similar way to papaya. Sirsak is rich in vitamins and minerals, and it has a beneficial effect on gut flora, normalizes liver function, regulates stomach acidity, and helps eliminate excess uric acid from the body. That's why it's recommended for people with conditions like arthritis and rheumatism. It also contains vitamins from the B and C groups.

There's an opinion that sirsak may even help in cancer treatment. In Bali, you can find dried sirsak in packets.

General description and selection recommendations: In my experience, the appearance and smell of the fruit far surpass its taste qualities. It is sour-sweet, very juicy, and is often used as a garnish for main dishes. Strangely, you may not feel like eating it very often.

Season: April - September

General description and selection recommendations: Breadfruit or jackfruit can reach up to 40 cm in diameter. They resemble durian in appearance but are less bumpy. The fruit is cut open, and bright yellow pieces are taken from the core. Jackfruit is usually sold already prepared by weight. The flesh of the fruit is very firm and fragrant, similar to bubblegum. It's slightly sticky. The fruit is very filling. It's challenging to prepare yourself because the fruit inside is very sticky. You'll need to wash everything with oil, so it's better to use gloves when peeling it.

Season: December-March

Varieties: There are different varieties and types of durians, many of which grow in Bali. One of the best and most delicious varieties is "Bangkok."

General description and selection recommendations: This is the wonderful fruit that smells like hell but tastes heavenly. It's the most mysterious and exotic fruit that every tourist feels obliged to try. The durian fruit's appearance resembles that of breadfruit but is somewhat smaller in size. When opened, it typically contains small "sausage-like" segments that are 8-15 cm long.

People usually fall into two categories: those who adore it and those who can't stand it. The aftertaste of durian lingers in the mouth for quite some time. Bringing durian into hotels is prohibited because its smell can linger in the room for several days.

Locals eat it right on the street. They set up 2-3 small tables next to the vehicles from which they usually sell durians, and anyone interested can indulge right there. The texture of the fruit is very peculiar, somewhat oily. It's a very fatty fruit.

Durian can increase body temperature, so it's recommended to eat a couple of rambutans after consuming durian, as they can help lower body temperature. Combining durian with alcohol is highly discouraged.

General description and selection recommendations: Pomelo is a large citrus fruit similar to grapefruit. It's juicy and sweet, lacking the bitterness often associated with grapefruit. The flesh of pomelo is tender and aromatic. Pomelo is rich in vitamins A and C.

Season: May-October

Varieties: There are dragon fruits with white flesh and bright purple flesh. Fruits with purple flesh tend to be sweeter and more aromatic.

General description and selection recommendations: Bright pink fruits immediately catch your attention on the market stall. You can determine the fruit's interior by its external scales. Purple dragon fruits have slightly smaller and more closely spaced scales. Personally, I prefer purple fruits as they have a flavor reminiscent of kiwi. White dragon fruits, on the other hand, are not particularly aromatic or sweet in taste. Purely in terms of appearance, they are much more attractive. They are often added to fruit juices, creating a visually stunning drink!

Watermelons on Bali come in both red (merah) and yellow (kuning, usually more expensive) varieties:

Season: All year round

Varieties: Red and yellow

General description and selection recommendations: Watermelons are available on Bali almost year-round and are quite affordable. Yellow watermelons are often sweeter than the red ones. However, they may not be as sweet as watermelons from Astrakhan. Typically, they are seedless.

Coconuts in stores in Bali at a normal price (7,000-10,000 rupiahs).

Season: year-round

General description and selection recommendations: Coconut water is a very useful beverage. It is the juice of an unripe, green coconut. Coconut water is highly beneficial for health as it is a rich source of essential minerals and microelements. This is especially relevant in hot climates where people sweat and lose many nutrients through perspiration. Artificial electrolyte drinks don't compare to coconut water. The white flesh of the green coconut is an excellent stimulator of male sexual function. Ripe coconuts are mainly used for making coconut shavings. The juice from a riper coconut is usually more acidic, and the flesh is firmer.

Lychee 

General description and selection recommendations: Leci is a highly aromatic and flavorful fruit (or berry). Inside, there is a small hard pit, and the flesh is translucent white. It is frequently used in desserts or beverages. It is typically quite expensive compared to other fruits.

Different types of Salak on Bali:

Season: year-round

General description and selection recommendations: a very strange, slightly prickly fruit with skin resembling snake scales, which is why it got its name "snake fruit." It has a sweet and sour taste and is aromatic. Depending on the variety, it may resemble strawberries or carrots in taste, but of course, only in some way. Inside, there is a hard pit. The beige flesh consists of one or several segments. Salak can be used to make excellent compote. The tree itself is very prickly, with fruit clusters growing close to the ground but surrounded by thorny branches, making it quite challenging for gardeners to harvest.

There are several varieties of salak on Bali. The sweetest of them is "salak gula," which tastes somewhat like strawberries. "Salak Bali" and plain "salak" are more tart (sometimes even too tart) and resemble carrots or less sweet apples.

Guava

General description and selection recommendations: They resemble green apples with an uneven surface. It's better to choose fruits that are slightly soft to the touch, which means they are more ripe. Inside, there are many small, hard seeds, which is why I don't like them much. Riper guavas have more aromatic flesh and fewer seeds, so be more selective when picking and chew guava carefully. The taste of a ripe guava is sweet, reminiscent of pineapple and strawberry.

Bright green guavas are sweeter but have more seeds. Guavas are used to make very tasty freshly squeezed juice; I prefer them in this form.

Passion fruit 

Season: January - April

General description and selection recommendations: A round, yellow fruit about the size of a lemon with a hard yellow skin. The skin of an unripe passion fruit is initially resistant to a knife, but as soon as the fruit is cut open, the amazing aroma of passion fruit fills the entire house. It's the same aroma that's most prominent in packaged tropical juices. The flesh of the fruit and its taste are somewhat reminiscent of sea buckthorn. Unripe passion fruit has a sweet-tart or sour taste. In ripe passion fruit, the skin springs back when pressed and easily breaks apart with your fingers. Such passion fruit can be very sweet. By the way, you can also eat the seeds; they easily chew and have a pleasant crunch in the mouth. Passion fruit often grows freely near homes, yielding a very abundant harvest and covering the house all around. It's a relatively expensive fruit.

Season: All year round

General description and selection recommendations: Lime is smaller than a lemon, about the size of a small plum, round, and green in color. It has a slightly bitter taste. It is added to almost any dish and used to make sauces. In general, it serves as an Asian substitute for lemon.

A reasonable price for avocados during the season in Bali:

General description and selection recommendations: Ripe avocados are quite soft, pear-shaped, with green skin and light green flesh. Inside, there's a large, soft pit that resembles a nut more than a stone. It's challenging to describe avocado as delicious; it's quite fatty and very filling.

The fat in avocados is easily digestible due to the high content of unsaturated fatty acids. Avocados are rich in minerals, trace elements, and vitamins.

Out of season, avocados in Bali can be very firm and expensive. During the season, you can find them already ripe and soft. Typically, even a slightly unripe avocado can be stored at home for a few days until it ripens.

Local name: Terong Belanda (Dutch Eggplant)

Season: May - September

General description and selection recommendations: It's a sweet and sour fruit with a dark red color. It has quite an interesting taste. It's convenient to cut it open and eat it with a spoon. People typically don't eat the skin.

In Bali, there are also local strawberries and grapes. However, they pale in comparison to the taste of the ones we have back home, so it's not worth trying them here to avoid disappointment. Only during the peak season, strawberries can be somewhat edible.

It is believed that the peak fruit season is during winter, but in reality, it depends on the weather and rainfall, so the concept of a season is quite conditional, and fruits can be available out of season :)

Passion Fruit / Markisa

Season: January - April

Jackfruit / Nangka

Season: April - September

Tamarillo / Terong Belanda

Season: May - September

Mangosteen / Manggis

Season: May - July

Dragon Fruit / Buah Naga

Season: May - October

Rambutan

Season: May - October

Longan / Lengkeng

Season: June - September

Soursop / Sirsak

Season: June - September

Mango / Mangga

Season: October - February

White Mango / Wani Mangga

Season: December - March

Durian

Season: December - March

Papaya / Pepaya, Red and Yellow Watermelon / Semangka Merah / Kuning, Bananas / Pisang (the tastiest varieties are Milk Bananas / Susu and Green Bananas / Ambon-Hijau), Snake Fruit / Salak - available year-round!