Malay apples

Malay apples are the bright red, bell-shaped fruits of Syzygium malaccense (Myrtaceae), a tree native to Malaysia and India and widely planted across the humid tropics. The crisp, white flesh is slightly sweet and juicy with a delicate rose-like perfume; the fruits are eaten raw as a refreshing dessert fruit or processed into preserves, jellies and wines. Also known as mountain apples or pomerac, they are harvested fully ripe — they do not ripen well off the tree — and handled gently to avoid bruising, since the thin skin marks easily. As highly perishable tropical fruit they need rapid cooling and cold-chain distribution, and processors select sound, mature fruit to ensure good flavour and safe, clean juice and preserve manufacture.