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Tropical Fruit => Tropical Fruit Discussion => Topic started by: cassowary on January 17, 2023, 06:40:07 PM

Title: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: cassowary on January 17, 2023, 06:40:07 PM
Anyone tried to let Safou ripen and eat it raw?

I did it with one fruit and it ripened well and tasted AMAZING. Tasted like a fresh "cured salted olive" I know it sounds like an oxymoron but it had many taste qualities of a processed olive. Texture was similar to an olive but less "oily".

I know it looks like the Safou is cooked but it's not, it's peak summer here now so about 23-30 degrees in the shade now. And also mostly 99% humidity.


(https://i.postimg.cc/1fv4VySs/DSC00226.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1fv4VySs)

(https://i.postimg.cc/mhRrdP2T/DSC00227.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mhRrdP2T)
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: Finca La Isla on January 17, 2023, 07:09:43 PM
Sure they can simply ripen and be quite good.
Peter
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: elouicious on January 17, 2023, 07:10:49 PM
Nice!

Always heard these were an amzing fruit with Olive and avocado qualities-

Wish I could grow them
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: cassowary on January 17, 2023, 07:36:06 PM
Why is it so common to cook them then?
Is it cause they are picked to early?

I am new to Safou...
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: elouicious on January 17, 2023, 08:57:48 PM
Can't help you there unfortunately,

never had one but planning a trip to indonesia
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: Finca La Isla on January 17, 2023, 09:08:44 PM
Not likely to find them in Indonesia.

By cooking them you can have a lot of safou ready to eat at the same time.
Peter
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: cassowary on January 17, 2023, 10:25:51 PM
Yeah that makes sense Peter,
a friend said Dabai can be kept them in the mouth for a few minutes and they will soften up without "heating" them. So many of these fruits ripen up well without heating excessively. The sun would probably be enough to "cook" them also.

I'v never seen Safou in Indo either, But you can acess Dabai easy in Brunei and Sabah durian season.


I'v never tried Dabai, wounder if it's better then safou?
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: Finca La Isla on January 17, 2023, 10:41:16 PM
While dabai, safou, and engkala have some similarities they are also quite different.  What they have in common is that they are savory fruits that are commonly warmed in water then eaten. 
I agree that safou has an avocado/olive side to it and can be even a little salty. Baba ganoush comes to mind too.
Engkala, when it’s good brings to mind artichoke hearts.
Dabai was not in season when I was in Borneo but I’ve had it in CR and what I had might of combined safou with potato.

Safou is from Africa so the chances, at this point, to find it in Indonesia are low.
Peter
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: cassowary on January 17, 2023, 10:56:12 PM
Peter, Yeah I also thought Safou was "Salty", I was totally amazed!
"Safou with Potato" that sounds almost like a less flavorful fruit as potatos "mostly" are tasteless (starch).

BTW they got the Kembayau, Dacryodes rostrata, I wounder how that one is in comparison to Safou...

I wounder if Safou, Dabai, Kembayau and Ackee where grown in one spot on the equator or here at 16 degrees if it would be possible to have atleast one of them bearing fruit at any time of the year.
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: Finca La Isla on January 18, 2023, 09:13:04 AM
They all probably fruit at the same time!  Can be twice a year
Peter
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: Oqueel on January 18, 2023, 11:34:39 AM
Hi Cassowary, we usually don't eat safou after it has ripened on its own, but I can understand the taste description/preference. Soaking it in hot water is a quick way to go but it seems to make it taste a bit more sour. I prefer to dry-roast it in a hot pan (I even keep a special frying pan for that). It cuts down on the sour taste and emphasizes the buttery smoothness. Most snack sellers just toss it on an open wood grill for a few minutes with similar effects. I particularly like it when the skin is a little charred and crisp. Good times! But to each his own.

Pity about the shelf life though; I've known it all my life and I still can't figure out how to make it last beyond a couple of days. It's always good to hear from people who are enjoying safou off the continent.
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: ben mango on January 18, 2023, 01:29:57 PM
Safou are good eating. I enjoyed the ones I ate from Peter’s. Dabai are slightly better eating ime. For good reason it can easily sell for $10+ per kilo on Borneo. Engkala is good but rivals a good avocado
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: cassowary on January 18, 2023, 07:31:07 PM
Oqueel,
Thanks for the preparation advice :D
Will try that eventually when I get more.

Peter,
All at the same time. I wounder if they can be frozen once they are heated or ripened?? Anyone tried freezing safou, dabai or ackee?

Ben,
Did you ever try to let the Dabai just ripen naturally or put it in the sun?
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: Finca La Isla on January 18, 2023, 10:46:53 PM
I have had dabai that was grated then frozen and thawed. Pretty good.
Dabai is a fast grower, we have 7 trees developing.
Akee is commonly grown here. I’ve never heard of freezing it but that would probably work.
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: ben mango on January 19, 2023, 09:14:24 AM
No cassowary, I’ve seen what happens to them when they sit out for days and they become wrinkled and dry I’m presuming. They are very firm before the hot water is cooked which leads me to belief they ripen differently than safou. Safou no doubt can ripen naturally, no water necessary. I’m ok with soaking them in a bit of hot water to speed up the ripening process. Seems this is how Malaysians traditionally prepare dabai
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: cassowary on January 19, 2023, 09:48:39 PM
Ohh great will try that when we get some fruit, hopefully not a decade!

Maybe it's liked so much that there is none left to freezee :p

I agree they are and shoot to the clouds fast with no branches bellow 3m atleast.
One man I know have been trying to keep them short on a tatura trellis but it never worked well because they just shoot up again with one single shoot when he pruned them. When ours have had tip damage they only shoot up one new straight shoot.
And the big free standing female he had long ago died the second time he cut it to collect the fruit.

I just hope there's no Doves that will eat the fruit or that the bats get into them. Because I can't see how to keep this one shorter then like 8m. Maybe tip pruning at a mature state will stop it from becoming a giant atleast.
It seams it has to reach a certain height to create laterals.

Anyone with dabai pruning experience??

Even with lot's of space it seams that low branches don't develop.
http://bombasticborneo.com/2012/01/dabai-fruit/

I wounder if Safou will be easier to keep short?

ben,
The native Canarium vitiense is ok sundried raw. Did you ever tried the sundried dabai?
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: Finca La Isla on January 20, 2023, 01:21:18 AM
Safou is not difficult to shape. It responds to pruning nicely. Bunches of fruit can be picked from the ground or by climbing in the tree and using a cutter on a pole.

We have had limited success trying to shape dabai. At about 6m I have gotten it to branch a bit but it still wants to shoot straight up. I also know of a dabai that was cut low for harvest and it died!!?!
I understand that climbing a tall ladder and reaching up with a hook to grab and break a branch is a common way to harvest tall dabai.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xcjk8f7h/043050-AD-DE3-F-4-A63-BFFE-A1564-B42-C7-C7.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xcjk8f7h)
This is a photo of dehydrated dabai.
Peter
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: ben mango on January 20, 2023, 09:57:08 AM
I have not , cassowary but would be interested to try it. Maybe next time I visit Borneo
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: cassowary on January 20, 2023, 06:57:42 PM
Thanks for sharing about Safou.

Wow dehydrated Dabai!

I tried the African palm oil fruit for the first time yesterday. It's really good, very flavorful and oily ofcourse.
I never thought it would be this good and I probably had some biased hate towards it for the destruction of forest in SEA. But it not it's fault ofcourse, it's the big oil companies fault. The African oil palm is definitely worth adding to a food forest system.
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: Galatians522 on January 20, 2023, 10:06:20 PM
Thanks for sharing about Safou.

Wow dehydrated Dabai!

I tried the African palm oil fruit for the first time yesterday. It's really good, very flavorful and oily ofcourse.
I never thought it would be this good and I probably had some biased hate towards it for the destruction of forest in SEA. But it not it's fault ofcourse, it's the big oil companies fault. The African oil palm is definitely worth adding to a food forest system.

I agree 100%! I don't think there is any other plant that can produce enough oil to meet the needs of the average family for a year from just one tree. If it were just a bit more hardy, I would be trying to grow it. And, as you say its people who are to blame for the destruction, not the plant.
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: fruit nerd on January 20, 2023, 10:29:15 PM
Good to hear positive reports about Safou. I have one tree but I suspect it will be several more years before it fruits. Looking forward to trying it.
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: elouicious on January 20, 2023, 11:45:23 PM
Not likely to find them in Indonesia.

By cooking them you can have a lot of safou ready to eat at the same time.
Peter

Totally mistook them for Dabai!

Thanks Peter-
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: cassowary on January 21, 2023, 06:33:48 PM
Good to hear positive reports about Safou. I have one tree but I suspect it will be several more years before it fruits. Looking forward to trying it.

Does any neighbors have Safou tree's?
"Trees can be male, female, or hermaphrodite. Male trees may produce a limited number of female flowers, and thus some fruit"
https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Dacryodes+edulis

So you probably want to get some more Safou tree's to avoid possible disappointment later on.

Galatians,
Up in Julatten there is one nursery with about 20 of them along the border but I have never seen any fruit on but they grow very well up there at 500m. It can sometimes go below 5C there in winter if I don't remember it wrong. But I think it's more pollination that is an issue.
Title: Re: Safou edible raw? Dacryodes edulis
Post by: Galatians522 on January 21, 2023, 10:56:38 PM

Galatians,
Up in Julatten there is one nursery with about 20 of them along the border but I have never seen any fruit on but they grow very well up there at 500m. It can sometimes go below 5C there in winter if I don't remember it wrong. But I think it's more pollination that is an issue.

I get about -2c/-3c on a pretty regular basis.  :-\