Sutiya's Gran lives out in the sticks somewhere in Suphan. I have to say, she is a remarkable lady. Approaching 90, she is 100% able and always cheerful. As Sutiya often remarks in admiration 'she has never asked anyone for a thing'.
At the back of her plot they grow 'gra-ton' fruit. They wrap the tree-borne seedlings in newspaper so that the bugs don't get at them. Once a year, they haul out an old cart, and bring in the crop to sell to local shopkeepers and vendors.
I'd say one in every 12 is bad; they have these ugly splits down the middle, rendering the fruit inside inedible. The good ones are pretty hard, perfectly round, the size of a large apple.
The piles of gra-ton soon build up, within an hour four of us have picked, carted, unwrapped and sorted maybe 300.
The coffee shop sells them when they are in season, and we paid 25 baht a kilo (mate's rates I believe), we had 15 kilo.
They sold like hot cakes.... absolutely flew off the shelf. It seems Granny has a nice little thing going with her gra-ton fruit; apparently they make a few thousand pounds a year off them.
Well done Gran.
What do they taste like?
Posted by: Wotchit321 | July 24, 2009 at 08:23 AM
Please God we all stay as healthy and happy as Gran, she really is a remarkable lady. A living tribute to the personality and outlook of the senior Thai nation.
Posted by: theoldman | July 24, 2009 at 08:41 AM
Wotchit - They either come out very sweet, or as a little sweet and sour combo. The Thai's here at the bahn love the really sweet ones.... as do I.
theoldman - yep, couldn't agree more.
Posted by: The Thai Pirate | July 24, 2009 at 08:47 AM
This is fabulous. I love it when I read about a fruit that I know absolutely nothing about.
I was going to ask if you could ask grannie for the Thai script, but I found it on flikr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/travlinman43/3712341937/
My mouth is watering. Now I just HAVE to find this fruit. Thanks!
Posted by: Catherine | July 24, 2009 at 10:39 AM
They're the ones Cat - Enjoy!
Posted by: The Thai Pirate | July 24, 2009 at 10:50 AM
Have you tried juicing them?
Posted by: Wotchit321 | July 25, 2009 at 12:23 PM
Does anyone know the latin name for Graton ? (alright I know it's a bit highbrow but it helps...)
Posted by: theoldman | July 25, 2009 at 12:29 PM
I think they are known as 'Santol' http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=santol&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=
Not tried juicing them
Posted by: The Thai Pirate | July 25, 2009 at 01:24 PM
Good old gran and a few thousand to boot, she must have quite a wedge stacked under her mattress. She is one fit woman for someone in their nineties, perhaps you'd better juice it and drink back the years.
Posted by: Martyn | July 25, 2009 at 08:57 PM
You may be onto something there Martyn, I don't think Leo has the same effect....
Posted by: Ben Shingleton | July 26, 2009 at 03:01 AM