Sunday, 4 May 2014

Phyllanthus acidus - Cermai

Cermai is the fruit of Phyllanthus acidus, also known as Malay gooseberry, is an exotic local fruit of the tropical Asia.  

A cermai tree can grow up to 10 meter in height.  The leaves are ovate, alternates, light green in colour.  The flowers can be male, female or hermaphrodite, small and pinkish in clusters on the branches.  The fruits are pale yellow, waxy, crisp and juicy, with 4 – 6 seeds.


Cermai is cultivated mainly for its fruit, which is very sour, thus seldom consumed fresh.  The cermai fruit is mostly used in cooking, pickled in salt, sweetened and made into syrup.  It is also consumed raw mixed in rojak buah, or pounded with sambal belacan and eaten with rice.    The young leaves can also be eaten as greens 

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