Alan Davidson

Namnam

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Food
Oxford Companion to Food

By Alan Davidson

Published 2014

  • About

namnam a leguminous fruit, Cynometra cauliflora, apparently native to a region stretching from Thailand to E. Malaysia.

The fleshy pods are about 10 cm (4") long, wrinkled, with yellow flesh and a single large seed within, which is discarded during preparation. There are two varieties, a sweet one which is eaten raw and a sour one which must first be cooked, when its flavour is reminiscent of quince.

© the Estate of Alan Davidson 1999, 2006, 2014 © in the Editor’s contribution to the second and third editions, Oxford University Press 2006, 2014.