Buah Tarap is one of the famous fruit in Kota kinabalu where this fruit has a strong scent. The fruit is delicious, soft flavoured and can be appreciated from the first bite. The fruit is considered superior in flavour to both Jackfruit and Cempedak.
The appearance of the fruit can be regarded as an intermediate shape between the jackfruit and the breadfruit. The fruit is round to oblong, 15-20 cm long and 13 cm broad, and weighing about 1 kg. The thick rind is covered with soft, broad spines. They become hard and brittle as the fruit matures. The fruit does not fall to the ground when ripe. It may be harvested while still hard, and left to ripen until soft. Marangs change colour to greenish yellow when ripe. The ripe fruit is opened by cutting the rind around. Twisting and gently pulling the halves complete the operation. The interior of the fruit is somewhat similar to the jackfruit’s, but the colour is whitish. The core is relatively large, but there are fewer “rags” and less non-edible parts. Arils are white and the size of a grape, each containing a 15 × 8 mm seed. Once opened, the marang should be consumed quickly (in a few hours), as it loses flavour rapidly and fruit oxidises. The seeds are also edible after boiling or roasting.