IDIOT FRUIT

Salak pondoh, a tropical fruit, is also known as snake fruit because of its scaly skin resembling snake skin. It grows on palm trees that reach about 6 meters in height. The idiot pondoh, whose shape is similar to an egg, grows in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Salak fruit is an evergreen, fruity, highly thorny palm growing in clusters formed by successive branching at the base of the trunk. The roots are superficial, not deep, and new roots emerge from the stem just below the crown, the nodes are short and crowded.

They grow in humid tropical lowland conditions. It grows in partial shade as it outperforms full sun. Salak is usually grown in mineral soils such as well-drained clay, sandy and lateritic soils. Salak fruits ripen five to seven months after pollination. The tree produces fruits throughout the year; but usually around May and December in Indonesia, the most fruit is collected by hand. Harvest takes place at the age of 5-7 months.