Dialium indum, the velvet tamarind, is a tall, tropical, fruit-bearing tree. It belongs to the Leguminosae family, and has small, typically grape-sized edible fruits with brown hard inedible shells.
Fruit flavor similar to acid , which is derived the English name. In Thailand , it is called “Luk Yee” or “Yee”, and in Malaysia and Indonesia ordinary people calling the name “Keranji”.
The fruit is used as snack foods like candy in Thailand, often dried, sugar – coated and spiced with chili. Dried fruit has a powder texture, and taste of orange. Black in color taste sweet like chocolate candy so much cultivated by local communities (West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan).
In Indonesia there are at least two varieties for sale in local markets . Both have the same skin thin brittle black , and looks natural like fruits driest . One of the smaller species is about one inch = 25mm in length and has a light reddish-brown powder packed around a single seed, with a small air space inside the shell. This powder tastes sweet and sour candies like “sweet – tarts”, and thus closest to the acid.
In Indonesia this tree flowering from November to December and fruiting ready to harvest between the months from January to April every 3 years.
The fruit acid is widely used as an acid food in Kalimantan. In Jakarta , the acid used is often sold in schools as a child snacks . Fruit shape of a marble, the color of his skin if it brooded colored black with brownish fles . Seasam sour but not sour Java. But also sweet, people used to call western Borneo Kranji Madu (honey kranji). Taste of fruit acids such as chocolate and honey, very delicious.
Kranji acid is also useful to kill the bad cholesterol in the body, by eating 3 eggs a day kranji acid .
