Marian Plum in Thai Cooking

Marian plum is a small, egg-shaped fruit that turns bright orange when ripe. It has a short season at the start of the year, and its flavour runs from sweet to sharply sour depending on the variety. Nakhon Nayok, north-east of Bangkok, is famous for it.

Pronunciation	ma-prang
Flavour	Sweet to very sour, juicy, like a mango-plum
Season	February to April
Eaten	Fresh, with chilli-salt, in syrups and preserves

Sweet, sour and in between

Maprang wan: the sweet type, eaten fresh.
Maprang priao: sour, eaten unripe and green with chilli-salt, or made into preserves.
Mayong chid: larger and sweet-sour, the most prized of all.

How to eat it

Eat ripe marian plums whole, skin and all, and discard the large purple seed. Green, sour ones are dipped in prik kluea (sugar, salt and chilli).

Choosing and storing

Choose bright, unblemished fruit. Marian plums are delicate and keep only two to three days, even in the fridge.

In Thai markets

The main growing provinces are Nakhon Nayok, Prachinburi, Ang Thong, Nakhon Sawan and Phichit, and the fruit reaches markets in February and March. Mayong chid in particular is sold carefully packed in boxes and baskets, often as a gift, because the thin skin bruises at the slightest knock. Sour maprang is sold green, by the bag, from the same stalls that sell other fruit for dipping in prik kluea.

Ways to eat it

Fresh: sweet maprang and ripe mayong chid are eaten whole and chilled.
Chae im: sour types preserved in sugar syrup, sometimes with a little salt, as a sweet-sour snack.
Dong: pickled in brine and eaten with chilli-salt.
Outside Thailand: the same species is known as gandaria in Indonesia. Fresh fruit is seldom exported, so frozen or preserved versions in Asian grocers are the realistic option.

Cook’s tip
Look for them at Bangkok markets in March. The season is short, and they rarely reach shops outside Thailand.

Sweet, sour and in between

How to eat it

Choosing and storing

In Thai markets

Ways to eat it

More Fruits