When a local fruit is named Buah Kote Mamak, expect an interesting conversation to ensue

 

THERE ARE many hidden treasures in Malaysia that younger generations are slowly rediscovering through social media.

Traditional kuih recipes. Forgotten slang. Old-school remedies passed down by grandparents. And then there is Buah Kote Mamak, perhaps the only fruit in the country capable of making an entire room of adults giggle uncontrollably like secondary school students.

In a social media post on X by netizen @goodlucksofea, we are reminded that such a fruit actually existed.

And looking at its rather odd shape, we are not surprised why someone came up with the idea to name it Buah Kote Mamak in the first place.

Netizens have much to say about this fruit too. Take it from @ZainickKiddo who claimed the fruit was called, “Buah Kote Keling,” in his place.

“Petition to rename this fruit as Zim or Zakar India Muslim,” added @LukeKhidir. Also, netizen @beabaeee7 warned that people who don’t eat durian will not like the fruit.

Then there was @zamkhadir, reminding people that the ripe ones contain opium.

Yet despite the absurd name, Buah Kote Mamak is reportedly a real traditional fruit known in certain local communities and associated with herbal remedies. 

This plant is widely found on the edge of Malaysian forests but is now grown as an ornamental and landscape plant because of its rather large, shady nature with an umbrella-shaped canopy. 

For some people, the seeds are edible and taste even better when eaten with grated coconut.

There is a thick liquid content like honey that tastes sweet and pungent, coating the seeds which some people mix with milk for a drink. 

In terms of medicine, Kote Mamak is said to help relieve anemia and increase iron in the blood.

Antiseptic liquid can be obtained from its roots and leaves while its flowers are widely used in traditional medicine.

Somewhere out there, a botanist is probably trying very hard to explain the fruit’s nutritional benefits while others remain emotionally incapable of progressing beyond the name. — Focus Malaysia