The intriguing buah kepayang, or keluak, is a local kitchen gem

Buah keluak, as featured in r.age series The Local Kitchen.

The kepayang “fruit” or buah keluak is actually the seed of the kepayang tree and has a rich history. Used to make nasi kebuli, a royal dish served to ancient Pahang royalty, it now has a place in Malaysian dishes like the Peranakan specialty, asam pedas keluak.

Most kepayang trees are found in Pahang, but the village most famed for kepayang production is Kampung Pagi in Pahang. Unfortunately, there’s only one tree left there.