Thai name: Khanun
Season: January to May
The jackfruit is the shape of a large melon. The fruit has a grey skin, and contains a great number of pips or kernels which are about the size of a pigeon's egg. These, when roasted, taste like chestnuts. The fruit is yellow and succulent, of a sweet taste and powerful smell. Thus wrote Simon de la Loubere, a French visitor to Thailand in the 17th century, and his description of the popular jackfruit still holds true. Thais eat the yellow flesh alone, with ice cream or mixed with other fruits and coconut milk in a compote. The cooked seeds find their way into many dishes.
In the mountainous north of Phuket island is the Khao Phra Thaeo Non-hunting Area, protecting more than 20km of rainforest. The three highest peaks of this reserve are the Khao Prathiu (384 metres (1,260ft)), Khao Bang Pae 388 metres (1,273ft) and Khao Phara 422 metres (1,385ft).