Are There Fresh Figs In Thai Marketplace?

[brahmburgers]

It's odd that there are several types of wild figs in the forests here around where I live in northernmost Thailand - yet I've never seen any fresh domestic figs - never seen dried ones either, though they're probably in packages sold by Chinese mechants.

Other things that I've never seen for sale in regular Thai markets; grapefruit (regular or pink), blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, brazil nuts.

Then there are the rare items found only in upscale farang grocery departments at sky-high prices: macadamia, peaches, hass avocado, kiwi.

I have a small experimental farm in Chiang Rai, and grow some of the above-mentioned items. However, there are a couple types on my wish-list. Am willing to buy/trade/shine shoes, whatever to get some starts for; vanilla or kiwi, muscat grape, cocao (Santa, are you out there?)

Am also a nut for large ornamental succulents and exotic types of lumber trees (zebrawood, etc.). My place is called 'Farm Ken'

Edited November 22, 2006 by brahmburgers

[Pond Life]

I know what you mean about the figs,

I've seen them growing wild in the deep south & N.W. but when I asked locals if they ate them they said no, so I asked "can you eat them", they said they didnt know.

Anyway I tasted some in the south & they seemed good.

Havnt tried the Northern ones yet but will as soon as I find some ripe ones & will also get some cuttings to plant at my place.

[guardian]

I don't know about the other fruits that BB asked, but regarding figs... I think the only possible reason I can think about is the dislike of Thais for anything with many seeds. A majority of Thais that I have spoken to or heard about don't like such fruits. Haven't you seen how they simply cut out the inner part of a guava and throw it out. What about pomegrenates? Most dislike them.

Just my 2 satangs.

[chownah]

As chance would have it this thread started just after I bought some dried figs at Big C and we were eating the last two tonight when I mentioned this thread to my wife and she pointed out on the label that in Thai figs were called madoea and that there was a madoea tree on the border of our property. She was right and I have even tasted them when ripe and forgotten about it. At the time I even thought that they resembled figs but as you can see it was not the most memorable experience. They are drier than a regular fig, not as sweet and not as flavorful and with a coarser texture. They are edible but not tasty enough so that most people would rather eat any other better tasting fruit. My wife says that the only way she has heard of people eating them is to pick them when they are very small (not mature) and eating them with fish lab.

I looked in the dictionary and madoea is ficus glomerata and the Thai dictionary said that there are many different varieties. I googled ficus glomerata and found a link that called them "cluster figs" and said that it was a large tree (and sure enough our tree is very big with thick trunk and thick spreading branches) whose edible fruits and leaves are used as fodder.....which sort of indicates that they are not the tastiest thing for humans to eat.

Chownah

[Farma]

Have you tried the orchid farms for Vanilla as it's an orchid. They reguire pollination by hand. Indonesia is a big producer of Vanilla.

Edited November 23, 2006 by Farma

[teletiger]

http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/fig.html.

Regards.

[manjara]

It's odd that there are several types of wild figs in the forests here around where I live in northernmost Thailand - yet I've never seen any fresh domestic figs - never seen dried ones either, though they're probably in packages sold by Chinese mechants.

Other things that I've never seen for sale in regular Thai markets; grapefruit (regular or pink), blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, brazil nuts.

Then there are the rare items found only in upscale farang grocery departments at sky-high prices: macadamia, peaches, hass avocado, kiwi.

I have a small experimental farm in Chiang Rai, and grow some of the above-mentioned items. However, there are a couple types on my wish-list. Am willing to buy/trade/shine shoes, whatever to get some starts for; vanilla or kiwi, muscat grape, cocao (Santa, are you out there?)

Am also a nut for large ornamental succulents and exotic types of lumber trees (zebrawood, etc.). My place is called 'Farm Ken'

I'd always tought it was strange that Avocado, Peach and Nectarines were not grown (to any extent) in Thailand.

I'd love to get my hands on some plants, but there don't seem to be any outlets that sell known varieties of anything. I keep asking when we stop at plant shops, 'What kind of longan is this?', all I get is confused looks - 'It's a longan, you stupid farang!'

I'm not planning on doing anything commercial, I just want to experiment with some different varieties and see what grows best & tastes best. It's kind of hard when there only seems to be one variety of anything!

Any addresses of plant suppliers appreciated (our place is in Ngao, Lampang)

[Nawtilus]

Anybody have any experience with growing Macadamias ?

I recently bought some from the DaoTung enterprise and while they were not raw and could not gauge the taste as they were a flavoured product, they were very tasty and very pricey.

[brahmburgers]

Anybody have any experience with growing Macadamias ?

I recently bought some from the DaoTung enterprise and while they were not raw and could not gauge the taste as they were a flavoured product, they were very tasty and very pricey.

I planted about a dozen macadamia trees and have propagated some additional ones from branch/root cuttings. Root cuttings need a long time to set roots - about 9 months if done well. Macs can tolerate infrequesnt watering. They hail from Queensland Australia and are intesively grown in Hawaii. The nuts are v. hard to 'shell' - someone told me they put them under plywood and drove a heavy truck over them! Also, Macs like fertilizer (rock dust) to yield well. They grow well - my trees are tall and not spreading - but still no nuts after several years. I've had better luck with brazil nut trees - they produce moderately, and we've grown some 2nd generation from their seed. I'm told they become the tallest trees in the Amazon! ...quite attractive, with fan roots and all. Macs and brazil nuts have high value in marketplace - at least as much as cashew, and are excellent tasting and healthy to boot (for people too).

It surprises me that most Thai tree farmers still stick with the common fruits - many of which are oversaturating the market (remember Taksin ordering fruit air-shipped to Thai embassies overseas in order to generate sales?!) plus common Thai fruits are often low value. It's a reflection of the Thai propensity to distrust anything new - even though some of the things mentioned above (mac and brazil) would garner much more revenue per rai. part of my mission here in Thailand is to assist regional hill tribe farmers with becoming aware of more lucrative crops. But Thai authorities, rather than encouraging me, are treating me (and all low income farang) with disdain - as if we're corrupting the good moral values of Thailand.

[Tim207]

Macs and brazil nuts have high value in marketplace - at least as much as cashew, and are excellent tasting and healthy to boot (for people too).

I was surprised to find cashew trees growing along the road in the village. One day I asked what the red fruit were and if people ate them. My wife showed me how they are prepared and I now understand why they are so expensive.

[chownah]

Brahmburgers,

Do you have a supplier for rock dust? If so tell us all about it. There was a question about this in another thread

Chownah

[bina]

its not about changing what to grow;

the three weeeks in thailand we ate fruits that anon had never eaten, AS A POOR VILLAGE THAI... but because of my daughter we bought anything that looked vaguely interesting, and ate it...mostly thai fruits but he had never bought fruit before having eaten only what is grown in the back. his old parents thought it amazing that i would waste money on buying fruit, and not saving it for something liek buying a car - exxagerating a bit but more or less a direct translation... food is something u have to eat to survive, u dont look for new interesting things to tingle your taste buds cause your bored with what there is, thas a waste.

most people in the world eat things that are local and cheap; anon refused to buy many fruits in the beginning because they were, in HIS EYES too expensive and why bother when there are decent fruit of the usual sort in his back yard... and i remember the oldtimer kibbutzniks with the same attitude, sort of like why bother to eat in a restaraunt when u have shniztel and chips at home-- why eat kiwis, etc when we are growing peaches, plums and apples so whats wrong with eating only those three fruits which we have for cheap and a lot of... why bother to try to raise anything else that is more complicated, needs more fine tuned knowlege, more energy, more captial etc etc etc...

as a kibbutz we have tried to grow various and sundry strange and bizarre fruits and veggies including for the organic market, and we always started off with someone who was 'crazy about the idea' i.e. someone crazy enough to actually invest time energy and heart/soul into the venture-and kibbutz money much to the frowns of the oldtimers. some projects collapsed due to time/energy etc or lack thereof... never underestimate why a farmer wont try something new... if u have no reserves, than u cant afford to try something that might not work...

only if u have nothing to lose but time can u undertake an new enterprise.

and i still dont understand why anyone would eat a 'shampoo fruit' which tastes like, as my child says, eating perfume or toilet bowl scenter.

[pete_r]

Dried figs from my parents' garden are one of the very few things that my parents in law really enjoy among the exotic foods that I bring back after a trip home.

Next time I'll take a few stems to see if we can get them to grow.

[brahmburgers]

Brahmburgers,

Do you have a supplier for rock dust? If so tell us all about it. There was a question about this in another thread

Chownah

I saw the mention of 'rock dust' in an organic topic on the internet. It could simply be a fancy name for ground limestone, or maybe something else. As you can see, I'm not the best one to ask on that.

[brahmburgers]

of course it's each person's choice what to eat. Some people, myself included, go with the fruits they grew up with - which their taste buds are accustomed to. Plus, I'm not much of an experimental eater. Frankly, most fruits in the Thai marketplace, taste odd to me. There are exceptions though. Last winter I had a bright yellow fruit (inside and out), the size of an elongated plum, with one long pit inside. I still don't know the name, but it was so delicious I brought a sample fruit to a tree nursery and left with a few seedlings which are now in the ground growing happily. The red golf-ball-sized ones with the soft green spines are tasty (I know, I should know the name) and am growing some of them also - plus they look so gnarly.

Anyone notice, NO GOPHERS IN THAILAND - at least where I am. ...and I've only found one tick (a big tan-colored guy) in 8 years of slashing through brush in the countryside - so let's be appreciative of some of the good things about Thailand. Also, I found a GIANT worm in my compost pile. This guy was over 2 feet long and as thick as my thumb - light purple color with a light yellow stripe on his back. You think I could get it entered in Guiness book of World Records?

[nitecm]

Anybody have any experience with growing Macadamias ?

I recently bought some from the DaoTung enterprise and while they were not raw and could not gauge the taste as they were a flavoured product, they were very tasty and very pricey.

I planted about a dozen macadamia trees and have propagated some additional ones from branch/root cuttings. Root cuttings need a long time to set roots - about 9 months if done well. Macs can tolerate infrequesnt watering. They hail from Queensland Australia and are intesively grown in Hawaii. The nuts are v. hard to 'shell' - someone told me they put them under plywood and drove a heavy truck over them! Also, Macs like fertilizer (rock dust) to yield well. They grow well - my trees are tall and not spreading - but still no nuts after several years. I've had better luck with brazil nut trees - they produce moderately, and we've grown some 2nd generation from their seed. I'm told they become the tallest trees in the Amazon! ...quite attractive, with fan roots and all. Macs and brazil nuts have high value in marketplace - at least as much as cashew, and are excellent tasting and healthy to boot (for people too).

It surprises me that most Thai tree farmers still stick with the common fruits - many of which are oversaturating the market (remember Taksin ordering fruit air-shipped to Thai embassies overseas in order to generate sales?!) plus common Thai fruits are often low value. It's a reflection of the Thai propensity to distrust anything new - even though some of the things mentioned above (mac and brazil) would garner much more revenue per rai. part of my mission here in Thailand is to assist regional hill tribe farmers with becoming aware of more lucrative crops. But Thai authorities, rather than encouraging me, are treating me (and all low income farang) with disdain - as if we're corrupting the good moral values of Thailand.

I am interested in growing Macadamia and brazil plant at Chiangmai but I do not know where to get the plant

Since you already have planted ,can you help me to buy smoe of them

Thanks

nitecm

[Gary A]

A number of years ago I had a deal worked out with a California pistachio grower. He would ship me the pistachios and I would ship cashews back in the same nitrogen purged containers. It got entirely too complicated and we gave up. I still think it would have been a profitable scheme had I been hungrier and more energetic.

[Gary A]

Back on topic, there was a Turkish guy running around Issan looking to trade dates for nearly anything of equal value. The dates were sweet and delicious. He needs to come back so the markets can stock up again. I love em.

[Beardog]

I planted about a dozen macadamia trees and have propagated some additional ones from branch/root cuttings. Root cuttings need a long time to set roots - about 9 months if done well. Macs can tolerate infrequesnt watering. They hail from Queensland Australia and are intesively grown in Hawaii. The nuts are v. hard to 'shell' - someone told me they put them under plywood and drove a heavy truck over them! Also, Macs like fertilizer (rock dust) to yield well. They grow well - my trees are tall and not spreading - but still no nuts after several years. I've had better luck with brazil nut trees - they produce moderately, and we've grown some 2nd generation from their seed. I'm told they become the tallest trees in the Amazon! ...quite attractive, with fan roots and all. Macs and brazil nuts have high value in marketplace - at least as much as cashew, and are excellent tasting and healthy to boot (for people too).

Hi Brahmburgers,

I used to go mountain bike riding in Maui every couple of days. Logan & I would frequent 3 Macadamia farms & talked to the producers as we could never find any decent nuts(after smashing the heck out of them to open them up.)

I asked 2 different growers about macs & they both said in Maui it takes 10 -20 years for the nut to mature & be ready for market. They both indicated thats why when we see their crops they plant every 2-5 years (staggering times & locations) so eventually they will be able to harvest their crop on a yearly basis. It may be entirely a horse of a different color in Thailand - but I think it is similar to coffee & takes time. The newer orchards never had nuts on the trees or ground either. Probably why you have not seen any yet.

If they grow in a tropical environment- they should be able to grow in Thailand no problem!

P.S. let me know how your Honeysuckle shoots are doing.

Beardog

Edited January 5, 2008 by sbk

[brahmburgers]

update on 'fruits and nuts which are unknown or rare in Thailand" dept.

My figs are going on in to their 3rd year. They're small and have lost most of their leaves because I haven't watered them since the rains stopped (in Nov) partly because my well is not functioning optimumly, and also I was told not to water them too liberally in the dry season. So am opting to let them toughen up for Dec and January (no water, and cold weather up here in Chiang Rai). Starting in March, I'll start babying them again with lots of water and fertilizer.

They suffer mainly from two things: a tiny green worm which forms a small silk cucoon on leaves (I squish them) and virus on leaves. Nothing much can be done about the leaf virus except try to keep the leaves from getting wet when hand watering. Can't be helped in wet season.

Macadamia trees are growing big but still no nuts, though there were a few flowers last year - that's encouraging.

Brazil nuts are producting but they're smaller sized than store bought brazil nuts you find in the States. My worker decided to do me a favor last summer and picked and shelled two large bags of nuts for me. What he didn't know was that most of the nuts were immature. So I told him to hold off until the husks turn from light green to browinish - about 16 months. the brazil nut flowers are dreamy - smell like sweet water.

[JungleBiker]

Hi Brahmburgers,

Wasn't that you who was offering imported blackberry plants some time ago? If so, I expressed an interest to buy some but you didn't reply (or did you?).

Anyhow, maybe now I can get your attention as I have some vanilla growing in my garden in Khon Kaen. Perhaps we could do a swap?

Also, how did you start your Brazil nuts - just from regular nuts-in-shell available in shops or what?

JB.

[brahmburgers]

I try to respond to every note I get, so if I didn't, it was an oversight.

Brazil nuts grow easily from seed, though I've been told they also sprout readily from branch cuttings. They like this climate. Apparently, they're the biggest trees in the Amazon basin. Again though, the nuts I've been getting thus far are just a bit bigger than marbles - so they're not as big as expected, though perhaps when the trees get bigger, they'll produce larger nuts. There are 6 to 11 nuts per pod. Pods are easy to open. Each pod is about the size of a large round avocado and shouldn't be picked for about 16 months after showing, or until they get motled brownish on the outside.

I'm interested in vanilla for the fun of it (not for commercial) and would love to get some kiwis - maybe one male and four female - if anyone knows of a source in Asia. anyone got guava seeds?

Am propogating thornless blackberries, but am not quite ready to sell starts. I spoke too soon earlier on. I reckon I'll be ready to sell 'em in a year or two. Stay in touch on any of these items. ...and

If anyone wants to visit my small farm near Chiang Rai, feel free to contact me to make arrangements.

[JungleBiker]

Hi Brahmburgers,

I try to respond to every note I get, so if I didn't, it was an oversight.

Here is what I wrote on 8 October in reply to your post where you said: "because I'm low on funds and only have a few on hand, I'll to charge 350 baht per plant. contact me if interested".

Hi Brahmburgers,

I am interested but I would like to know more information first... What variety are they - do they have a variety name other than "thornless"? How long have you been growing them in Chiang Rai and how are they coping with the climate? Did you get any fruit yet? Beside thornless blackberries do you have any other interesting fruits from overseas?

Thanks.

JB.

I'm interested in vanilla for the fun of it (not for commercial) and would love to get some kiwis - maybe one male and four female - if anyone knows of a source in Asia. anyone got guava seeds?

If you send me a private message with your address I will send you a piece of vanilla vine next week by EMS. I don't have many plants so sorry I cannot make the same offer to others. The plants I have don't look so good as I have not been around much to take care of them and the family do not have green thumbs. With some tender loving care the piece I send you should brighten up. Normally don't plant in the soil but put the bottom end on the top of the soil and mound some organic stuff like diced coconut husk around the bottom of the stem. Provide some support (i.e. a post - wooden or concrete) and tie the stem to the support until its aerial roots can get a grip. It should be grown under shade - but not too heavy shade. I reckon 50% is good. Then water regularly and apply foliar feed. My plants are actually growing on mango trees but then it's difficult to get the right amount of shade and also difficult to access the flowers when pollinating.

Am propogating thornless blackberries, but am not quite ready to sell starts. I spoke too soon earlier on. I reckon I'll be ready to sell 'em in a year or two. Stay in touch on any of these items. ...and

Seems like a long time to wait, but anyhow when you are ready please remember me!

If anyone wants to visit my small farm near Chiang Rai, feel free to contact me to make arrangements.

I would like to visit and may be in your province at the end of this month for a mountain bike race, so please include your mobile number in your private message.

Best regards,

JB.

[enkmd]

Does anyone know about growing pistachios in Thailand? does anybody have these growing? any success??

[maidu]

I've given up trying to grow fig trees here in Chiang Rai. The same pattern, over and over: I'd propagate from a branch - it took about 6 to 8 months to get it to root. I'd plant the cutting, it would grow fine for about 8 months, then die. Sometimes I could keep the fig growing for 2.5 years or so, even get a few fruits from it, but they invariably die young. It appears to be some sort (or combination) of pathogens. Even wild figs are dying around here, some with trunks a foot wide. Odd.

am still open to other types of fig cuttings or starts, because I like fresh figs. In a quixotic way, I'll try again.

[mo99]

I've given up trying to grow fig trees here in Chiang Rai. The same pattern, over and over: I'd propagate from a branch - it took about 6 to 8 months to get it to root. I'd plant the cutting, it would grow fine for about 8 months, then die. Sometimes I could keep the fig growing for 2.5 years or so, even get a few fruits from it, but they invariably die young. It appears to be some sort (or combination) of pathogens. Even wild figs are dying around here, some with trunks a foot wide. Odd.

am still open to other types of fig cuttings or starts, because I like fresh figs. In a quixotic way, I'll try again.

Maybe try a native rootstock, from another ficus variety?

I love figs, but also never seen at markets here. Maybe the Thais, like you, have not had much success with them...

[maidu]

I've given up trying to grow fig trees here in Chiang Rai. The same pattern, over and over: I'd propagate from a branch - it took about 6 to 8 months to get it to root. I'd plant the cutting, it would grow fine for about 8 months, then die. Sometimes I could keep the fig growing for 2.5 years or so, even get a few fruits from it, but they invariably die young. It appears to be some sort (or combination) of pathogens. Even wild figs are dying around here, some with trunks a foot wide. Odd.

am still open to other types of fig cuttings or starts, because I like fresh figs. In a quixotic way, I'll try again.

Maybe try a native rootstock, from another ficus variety?

I love figs, but also never seen at markets here. Maybe the Thais, like you, have not had much success with them...

Have you or anyone you've heard of had success growing edible figs in Thailand?

[rice555]

Hello All, there's several other fig threads, try doing a site search.

When did the OP get 86ed?

rice555

[Ronaweigh]

Hi All

I was at the plant market on Suk road in Pattaya next to mini siam on the weekend and there is a thai lady selling macadamia plants figs passionfruit vines and many more fruit trees which are hard to find in Thailand I only took a passive interest because she had quite a few differant varieties of fruit trees not usualy found in Thai plant markets

[maidu]

Hi All

I was at the plant market on Suk road in Pattaya next to mini siam on the weekend and there is a thai lady selling macadamia plants figs passionfruit vines and many more fruit trees which are hard to find in Thailand I only took a passive interest because she had quite a few differant varieties of fruit trees not usualy found in Thai plant markets

why is the note all lined out?