The Chempedak is native to south east Asia where it grows into a large tree. The soft fruits are very sweet with some fiber and a fairly smooth skin. They are smaller, less acidic and less fibrous than the jakfruit. The strongly odored fruits smell like durians when ripe, however if the peel is removed this will remove most of the odor. They are tropical in their growing requirements needing a warm, moist position and deep fertile soil in the full sun . Fruits can be eaten fresh or used in desserts, the young unripe fruit can also be eaten as a vegetable and made into pickles. Seedling trees start bearing after 3-6 years, they flower in Spring and the fruit mature 3-6 months later. The wood from the tree is an excellent quality timber that is as strong as teak and the tannins extracted from the heartwood produce a saffron coloured dye that is used to colour the robes of Buddhists. Other names include Cempedak, Champekak