Donga Fruit Tree in Sri Lanka

 

🌳 Donga Fruit Tree in Sri Lanka

• The Donga tree is very large, spreading wide and tall, almost like a jackfruit tree in size and appearance.

• It grows well in Southern Sri Lanka, often in homesteads and village areas, and provides a lot of shade.

🍈 Harvesting

• Donga is a seasonal fruit, but unlike many wild fruits, it bears fruit twice a year.

• The harvests usually come after the rainy seasons, so villagers look forward to it in two short bursts of the year.

🍋 Fruit Features

• The fruits hang scattered on the branches, round and yellow, slightly resembling mangosteen from outside.

• Inside is a very large seed that takes up most of the fruit.

• The seed is edible and sweet, with a unique yeasty, fermented-like flavor.

• The flesh around the seed is thin, sticky, and slightly bitter-sweet.

🌿 Local Significance

• Since it’s not a commercial fruit, you usually find it only fresh from the tree in village homes or forests.

• Many older villagers call it a “childhood snack” fruit, because kids climb the tree or collect fallen fruits during harvest.

• The big shady tree also serves as a resting spot in villages, much like a mango or jackfruit tree.

  @sanda vlog