Cempedak

Cempedak Singapore

Cempedak, also spelt Chempedak, is a fragrant Southeast Asian tropical fruit with soft, golden-yellow to orange flesh wrapped around large seeds. It is closely related to jackfruit and breadfruit, but has its own stronger aroma, softer texture and rich tropical sweetness.

This fresh Cempedak fruit is suitable for customers who enjoy aromatic tropical fruits with a bold flavour. When ripe, the flesh is sweet, creamy, slightly fibrous and very fragrant, with a flavour that may remind you of jackfruit, banana, mango, honey and a mild durian-like aroma depending on the batch.

Origin: Malaysia. Product photos are for reference only. 

Cempedak Quick Facts

Taste and Texture

Cempedak has a stronger aroma than many everyday fruits. A ripe fruit gives off a sweet tropical fragrance, and the flesh is usually soft, creamy and rich. Some customers enjoy it fresh, while others prefer it cooked into fritters or desserts because the aroma becomes even more rounded when heated.

The flavour is often compared with jackfruit, but cempedak is not exactly the same as jackfruit. Cempedak flesh is usually softer, creamier and more aromatic, while jackfruit is usually firmer and more structured. Sweetness, fibre, aroma and flesh colour can vary depending on the origin, variety, ripeness and batch.

• Fresh imported Cempedak fruit
• Also known as Chempedak
• Sweet, rich and strongly aromatic
• Soft golden-yellow to orange flesh
• Related to jackfruit, but not the same fruit
• Suitable for fresh eating, frying, desserts and cempedak cake

What is Cempedak?

Cempedak is a Southeast Asian tropical fruit from the same plant family as jackfruit and breadfruit. The edible part is the soft, fragrant flesh that surrounds the seeds inside the fruit. The fruit can look similar to jackfruit from the outside, but cempedak is usually smaller, softer, more aromatic and more custard-like when ripe.

In Singapore and Malaysia, many customers know the fruit as cempedak, chempedak or cempedak nangka. Nangka means jackfruit in Malay and Indonesian, so the phrase Cempedak nangka is often used when people are comparing cempedak with jackfruit or looking for a jackfruit-like tropical fruit.

Cempedak in English is usually still written as Cempedak or Chempedak. For cempedak in Chinese, market names can vary. Common reference names include 小菠蘿蜜 / 小波罗蜜, 尖不辣 and 榴莲蜜 depending on region and usage.

Cempedak Nangka vs Jackfruit

Cempedak and jackfruit are related, but they are different fruits. Cempedak is often softer, more aromatic and richer in flavour, while jackfruit is usually firmer, larger and more structured. Some customers may search for cempedak nangka because they know cempedak as a fruit that looks and tastes similar to jackfruit.

Is Cempedak Red Jackfruit?

Cempedak is not red jackfruit. Some shoppers may use the phrase red jackfruit when looking for aromatic orange-flesh tropical fruit or jackfruit-like fruit, but cempedak is a separate fruit with its own identity.

If you are looking for a soft, strongly fragrant fruit that is related to jackfruit but creamier and more aromatic, cempedak is the better match. If you want firmer jackfruit flesh, choose jackfruit instead when available.

How to Eat Cempedak

Cempedak can be eaten fresh when ripe. Cut open the fruit, remove the soft flesh pods from inside, and enjoy the flesh around the seeds. The flesh is the main edible part when eaten fresh. The seeds are also edible after cooking, but should not be eaten raw.

Fresh cempedak is best served chilled if you enjoy a cleaner taste. For a stronger aroma and richer dessert-style flavour, use ripe cempedak for fritters, pancakes, cakes, cheesecakes, ice cream toppings or warm desserts.

• Eat ripe cempedak flesh fresh
• Serve chilled for a cleaner tropical flavour
• Fry the flesh in batter for fried cempedak
• Use ripe pulp for cempedak cake or dessert fillings
• Add to pancakes, waffles, tarts or cheesecakes
• Blend into smoothies or dessert drinks
• Cook the seeds before eating

Cempedak Cake and Dessert Ideas

Cempedak is popular in desserts because of its strong aroma and naturally sweet flesh. Ripe cempedak pulp can be used in cempedak cake, butter cake, chiffon cake, cheesecake, muffins, pancakes, waffles, tarts and dessert fillings.

For a simple dessert idea, remove the cempedak flesh from the seeds, mash or blend the ripe pulp, then fold it into cake batter, cream filling or pancake mix. The flavour pairs well with coconut, pandan, gula melaka, vanilla, butter, cream cheese and light pastry.

• Cempedak cake
• Cempedak cheesecake
• Cempedak pancakes
• Cempedak fritters
• Cempedak waffles
• Cempedak ice cream topping
• Cempedak tart filling
• Coconut and cempedak desserts

How to Choose Ripe Cempedak

Ripe cempedak usually has a stronger aroma and may feel slightly softer than unripe fruit. The rind colour can vary from greenish to yellowish or brownish depending on the batch, so aroma and gentle softness are often better guides than colour alone.

A very ripe fruit may smell stronger and feel softer. Avoid fruit with leaking liquid, mould, heavy bruising, a sour fermented smell or badly damaged skin. As cempedak is a natural fruit, external marks and uneven shape may occur.

Storage and Handling Guide

Keep whole cempedak at room temperature until it becomes ripe and fragrant. Once opened, remove the edible flesh and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Consume opened fruit as soon as possible for the best taste and texture.

Cempedak can have sticky sap when cut. To make handling easier, use a sharp knife and protect your hands or cutting board where needed. Wash the knife and surface properly after preparation.

• Keep whole fruit at room temperature until ripe
• Open when the fruit is fragrant and ready to eat
• Refrigerate opened flesh immediately
• Store cut flesh in an airtight container
• Consume opened fruit soon for best quality
• Keep away from strong-smelling foods in the fridge
• Do not eat raw seeds; cook seeds before eating

Nutrition Overview

Cempedak fruit can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet. It naturally contains carbohydrates, dietary fibre, potassium, vitamin C and naturally occurring carotenoids. Nutrition values vary by variety, ripeness, serving size and batch.

Cempedak is naturally sweet, so customers watching sugar or carbohydrate intake may prefer to enjoy it in moderate portions. It is not a medical treatment.

Product Notes

This product is sold as fresh Cempedak fruit. Chempedak is an alternative spelling. Cempedak nangka is a common comparison term because cempedak is related to jackfruit, but cempedak and jackfruit are not the same fruit.

As fresh produce is natural and seasonal, size, shape, skin colour, flesh colour, ripeness, aroma, sweetness, seed size, texture and packaging may vary by batch. Product photos are for reference only.

Why Buy Cempedak from SKC Fruits

SKC Fruits offers fresh tropical fruits for customers in Singapore who want convenient online ordering and delivery. This Cempedak fruit is suitable for customers who enjoy rich, aromatic Southeast Asian fruits for fresh eating, desserts, fried cempedak and cempedak cake.

• Fresh imported Cempedak in Singapore
• Also known as Chempedak
• Suitable for fresh eating and desserts
• Good for cempedak cake, fritters and tropical dessert recipes
• Clear product notes for customers comparing cempedak nangka and jackfruit
• Convenient fruit delivery in Singapore