Artocarpus integer, commonly known as chempedak or cempedak, is a species of tree in the family Moraceae, in the same genus as breadfruit and jackfruit. It is native to Southeast Asia. Cempedak is an important crop in Malaysia and is also popularly cultivated in southern Thailand and parts of Indonesia, and has the potential to be utilized in other areas. It is currently limited in range to Southeast Asia, with some trees in Australia and Hawaii. The thin and leathery skin is greenish, yellowish to brownish in color, and patterned with pentagons that are either raised protuberances or flat eye facets.
Fleshy, edible arils surround the large seeds in a thick layer. The arils are edible raw, or they can be prepared in a number of ways. They are yellowish-white to orange in color, sweet and fragrant, soft, slippery and slimy on the tongue and slightly fibrous. Ripe cempedak fruit has a pungent smell that has been described as harsh and penetrating like that of durian.
Cultivation
Conditions
Cempedak trees are normally planted in non-eroded and well-drained soils, although they can tolerate temporary flooding. They can be grown from sea level to altitude at temperatures between and with annual rainfall of .
Propagation
In the Malay Archipelago, cempedak is usually cultivated with other fruit trees in mixed orchard systems of small farmers and occasionally in large fruit plantations. The trees are normally propagated by bud-grafting to maintain desired genetic traits.