For my several visits in Davao, it was just recently that I got introduced to Marang. No, it is not a person J it is a fruit. Madang to some, the tree is native to Mindanao and Palawan as well as to our Asian neighbor - Borneo.
Artocarpus odoratissimus (scientific name of Marang) has a strong scent like that of Durian (the fruit which I never attempted to eat because of its smell) but is less intense and nose-friendly J. Although, it is recommended that this should be part of your check-in luggage when transporting from Davao to your destination. But my friends advised me to pull out the edible part of the fruit from its rind and packed it in a plastic container so it won’t also add too much weight to my check-in luggage. Marang has a thick rind and is covered with spines. The spines are soft so it won’t actually hurt you. Its appearance and taste resemble Jackfruit (Langka in Filipino), though I like it better than Jackfruit.
More than its delicious taste, it is also a very healthy fruit since it has the following Vitamins: A, C, B. It also contains Iron, carbohydrates, calcium, and phosphorus.
In Agdao, the fruit is being sold at 50 Pesos per kilo but you can also have a free taste before buying it. Though, of course, it is not so nice if you taste it without actually buying at least one.
I am looking forward to buying more Marangs on my next visit to Davao. Burp! (Yup, my burp has the exotic “Marang aroma”). See you soon Davao!
