Young Cempedak with Smoked Pig Belly Soup

Cempedak is also called the ugly cousin of the jack fruit. Indeed, it’s a two different fruits in the same species. Even the form of fruit and trees are almost the same. The fruit of the cempedak also has a sausage-shape body but smaller in size when compared to the regular jack fruit. It has a green color when it is young and turns slightly yellowish when ripen. The fruit contains a bright yellow pulp covering the large brown seeds. The surface of the ripen Cempedak flesh is soft, sweet and haves a strong aroma which can even be compared to the smell of durian.

Young Cempedak

 

The unripe fruit is used as a vegetable or can be made into pickle. Ripe fruit can be eaten fresh but also delicious when deep-fry to made kueh. Some also use it in baking a cake or mix into syrup. It is a seasonal fruit hence it will be available only during fruit seasons.
 

Since we have plenty of it on this fruit season, I use the younger one to cook as a soup. So, try out this Sabahan simple style of cempedak soup.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 medium size of young cempedak
• 500g smoked pig belly
• Some sliced ginger
• Salt and pepper to taste

Smoked Pig Belly

 Methods:

1. Rinse smoked pig belly well, slice into small pieces.
2. Peel cempedak skin and rinse well. Halves and then slice into 1.5cm thick.
3. Fill pot with 60% full of water. Bring to boil then add smoked pig belly and ginger. 
4. When boiling, add in sliced cempedak.  Continue to cook until the cempedak become tender.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Ready to serve.