The Jackfruit Tree (center)

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Jackfruit, or known locally in Malay as Nangka, is the largest tree borne fruit in the world. This tree is located at a field in my neighborhood. The tree is native to the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, but is also very common in Malaysia.

The fruits which stick out of the main tree trunk can reach 36kg in weight and up to 90cm long and 50cm in diameter.

Before cutting up the fruit, it is best to have some cooking oil handy. Apply generous amount of oil onto the knife and your hands, otherwise it will be difficult to get rid of the sticky sap, which can even be used as glue. If the hands or the knife get stained, apply oil even during the cutting process. Note that it's best to have a very sharp knife.

It's common to coat the fruits with flour and fry them in oil. The leftover seeds can be steamed and are delicious to eat, like chestnuts.

"Cheng Beng" Ceremony in April

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Earlier this month, on 5th April, we observed the Cheng Beng ceremony (All Souls Day) at the Buddhist Chetawan Temple in Petaling Jaya where the ashes of our ancestors are kept. The ashes are contained in urns which are stored in cubicles at the columbarium in the temple.

Seven Buddhist monks sitting in lotus position in a row chanted suttras for the departed.

We were lucky because many others had to wake up very early and head for the hills where the cemetries are sited and where their ancestors were buried. They had to spend the whole morning cleaning up the sites, whereas we spent the whole morning listening to the soothing chanting by the monks.