Malaysians on Reddit share tips on telling langsat, duku and duku langsat apart, and reveal their favourites
AS a country rich in tropical fruits, Malaysia plays a vital role as a global producer, with more than 1.55 million tonnes of fruit produced annually, according to the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center for the Asian and Pacific Region (FFTC-AP).
While many local fruits are instantly recognisable, some can still be confusing to identify due to their similar appearance.
Beyond popular favourites such as durian, mangosteen, rambutan and cempedak, Malaysia is also home to lesser-known fruits from the Lansium domesticum family, including langsat, duku and duku langsat.
In a Reddit discussion, Malaysians shared their insights on how to tell these fruits apart and what sets them apart in taste and texture.
One user, belacan_ikan, explained that langsat has thin skin with bitter sap and a flavour that is more sour than sweet, with a slightly stronger fragrance. “The seed is very bitter if bitten,” he added.
Duku, he said, has thicker skin and chewy flesh, offering mild sweetness with a hint of tartness. “Not really exciting for me,” he commented.
As for duku langsat, he described it as “the best of both worlds”, noting that it usually has thin skin without sap, the sweetest flesh of the three, a pleasant fragrance and seeds that are generally not bitter.
He also pointed out that it is usually the most expensive.
However, he shared that his personal favourite is dokong, a closely related fruit.
Describing it as larger and sweeter, he noted that its downside is a sometimes oversized seed and less chewy flesh, though this reduces the risk of biting into the seed.
“You need to find a properly ripe one and let it sit for a day after picking,” he said.
Another user said he preferred duku, as he found langsat more rubbery in texture. Some commenters also claimed that dokong is simply another name for duku.
“I always buy dokong only. Sometimes I’ll buy duku langsat if I’m craving it but there’s no dokong available.”
