How many times have you seen something but paid no attention to it, until somebody asks you about it and you cannot answer? That’s what happened to me when Euna Kamath wrote to say that she came across some fruit that looked a lot like lychees but were much smaller, with a seed that was quite like that of rambutan.
“The flesh is sweet-sour, and like rambutan the flesh does not come clean off the seed,” she wrote. “What is the fruit called in English and in Thai? Can you throw some light on it?” She sent me a picture to make sure I knew what she was talking about.
I have seen the fruit in the market a few times, the latest only the day before I received her email, but I never paid attention to it, nor tried to taste it. I have always thought it was a wild variety of lychee, but after receiving Ms Kamath’s email I was no longer sure. I told her I’d ask the vendor the next time I saw the fruit, and promptly went back the next day to ask the vendor about it. “It’s a wild variety of lychee,” he answered, and I quickly relayed the answer to Ms Kamath.
The following Wednesday, I went to the Chatuchak plant market, where I saw the fruit again. I asked the vendor what it was called. “Ma ngaeo,” she answered. “It’s a wild fruit indigenous to the Northeast.”
For the first time, I decided to taste it. “It’s sour,” I commented. Just as Ms Kamath described, the flesh did not readily come clean off the seed, but it resembled neither rambutan nor lychee. It looked more like longan.
“Most northeastern fruits are sour,” the vendor answered. When I asked her whether it was a wild variety of lychee, she answered with an emphatic “No.”
If it was not a kind of lychee, then I owe Ms Kamath the right answer to her question. Now intrigued, I decided to find out more about this fruit.
In fact it is not wrong to call it linchi-pa, or wild lychee. According to Thai Plant Names by the late Tem Smitinand, one of Thailand’s leading taxonomists, it is known by that name in the southeastern region of Thailand. More commonly known as khor laen, it is also called by different names in different parts of the country — ma ngaeo and mak ngan in the Northeast, mak waeo in Nakhon Ratchasima, and ma ngae and mak ngaeo in the central and eastern provinces. Apart from linchi-pa it is also known as khor laen tua phu in the Southeast, and kaben, khor rang and sang khriat khon in the South, which goes to show that it is in fact indigenous to the whole country and not just the Northeast.
A completely different species (Nephelium hypoleucum), it belongs to the same family of plants as the lychee (Litchi chinensis) but it is more closely related to the rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) as they belong to the same genus. Nephelium melliferum, a wild variety of rambutan, is also called khor laen in some parts of the country but it is hairy and therefore cannot be mistaken for khor laen the wild lychee, which has a smooth skin. All four are closely related to the longan (Dimocarpus longan), which is also a member of the same Sapindaceae family.
According to the book, Plant Materials in Thailand, written by Uamporn Veesommai and Thaya Janjitkittikul, the Sapindaceae, or soapberry, family comprises trees, shrubs and vines with leaves that are usually alternate and pinnately or palmately compound. The flowers are mostly small.
Meanwhile, after reading the article on birds in the backyard in “Green Fingers” on May 25, Andrea Lauerbach wrote to say that she enjoyed watching birds visiting her garden and awakening in the morning to their song. “It is really amazing how many different species are coming quite regularly,” she wrote.
“Apart from the suitable plants and trees and a natural environment, the birds do need water,” she added. “Two years ago during a very hot summer I put up a bird bath. This is something everyone can do with almost no cost and no special skills involved. All you need is a flower pot and a saucer. Use the flower pot as the bottom and put the saucer on top. Fill it with water, not too deep, and remember to keep it clean. A glazed saucer is easier to clean.
“When we water our flowers at the end of the day we simply discard the old water, clean the saucer and fill it with fresh water. It does not take more than two minutes. The birds will love it.
“At first it took a while for them to get used to this new luxury but after about two weeks they now come regularly. We put up the bird bath close to the terrace and while we are having breakfast we can watch the birds splashing about. Some might only come for a drink, some for a short dip and others have an extended playful time. They are not shy and not afraid of us or our dogs. Bath time is usually in the morning, in the early afternoon and at dusk.
“Please do encourage your readers to help the birds, especially during the hot months. The birds get much needed drinking water and a refreshing bath and you will have the joy of watching a big variety of birds from very close.”
Mrs Lauerbach has done such a good job persuading readers to put up bird baths in their yards that I don’t think I need to say more. She sent the bird photo you see on this page for example. n
Email nthongtham@gmail.com.
