The World of Apples

The apples that aren't

Water apple

Syzygium aqueum, Myrtaceae, the myrtle family

The water apple “occurs naturally from southern India to eastern Malaysia” and is commonly cultivated in India, south-east Asia and Indonesia. It is also known as the watery rose apple, and in Malaya as jambu ayer or jambu chili2.

Morton’s verdict is kind but exact: it is “mainly consumed by children, the appeal being largely its thirst-relieving character”. In Indonesian markets the fruits are sold skewered on bamboo sticks, and in Malaya the trees give two crops a year2.

Sources

  1. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Syzygium aqueum, Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Supports: the accepted name and family.
  2. Water Apple, in Fruits of Warm Climates, Julia F. Morton, 1987, Purdue University NewCROP. Supports: the range, the names and how the fruit is sold and eaten.