Asam Kandis

Garcinia globulosa; G. nigrolineata. This is a small, round, thin-skinned fruit, about a centimetre in diameter, which is often used in cooking instead of tamarind. It is easy to find in Indonesia, difficult or impossible in Europe. The pulp is sweet but the skin, which is the part used in cooking, is bitter. When the fruit is picked, it is split down the middle and the half-skins are dried in the sun so that what comes to market is a hard, black, wrinkled fragment. It goes into the pot along with all the other ingredients, but it should, of course, be removed before serving. See also asam gelugur.