About kakchah & Asam Keping
Our family business since 1990
Who are kakchah?
kakchah is a Malaysian family business that produces 100% natural, dried Asam Gelugur/ Asam Keping. Asam Gelugur/ Asam Keping is grown mostly in northern Malaysia, where we live. Our family has grown up here in Perak, Malaysia for more than five generations and farmed Asam Gelugur/ Asam Keping since 1990. We collect the fruit from the wild rainforest surrounding our home. The fruit trees themselves have grown wild for decades in the natural rainforest untouched for hunderds of years. We use fresh rainwater to wash the fruit. Even this website is powered by renewable (wind) electricity. As such the fruit drying business provides a ‘green’ sustainable income for our family with literally zero carbon footprint.
What is Asam Keping (Gelugur)?
Asam Keping (when prepared) or Asam Gelugur (the raw fruit) is the magic ingredient in Asian food. It brings a special impact to Malaysian, Thai, and other Asian dishes. The flavour bursts out of any dish it’s in! You can buy this freshly-dried direct from us! Asam Gelugur/ Asam Keping contains a high amount of citric acid, tartaric acid, malic acid and ascorbic acid, hydroxycitric acid, and flavonoids. It is super sour and has an intense flavour! After ripening in the sun the fruit becomes bright-yellow orange (but when left in glass jars for months it goes black). A large number of traditional (and tasty) Asian food dishes use the fruit as a vegetable salad, dried then stewed and used as a common ingredient curries and soups.
Asam Keping (Gelugur) contains organic acids!
- Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) – The most abundant acid, known for its role in weight management and metabolic effects.
- Citric Acid – Common in many citrus fruits, contributing to the sour taste.
- Tartaric Acid – Adds to the acidity and preservative qualities.
- Malic Acid – Found in many fruits, contributing to tartness.
- Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) – Present in small amounts, offering antioxidant benefits.
What is Asam Keping called in English? …and other languages
Asam Keping/ Asam Gelugur (Malay name), Tamarind slice (English), ส้มแขก (Thai name), Garcinia atroviridis (Latin, scientific name) is a plum like fruit which grows wild in the northern rainforests of Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, and the southern regions of Thailand. It is also cultivated.
Benefits of Asam Keping (Garcinia atroviridis) and Its Acids
1. Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA)
Weight Management: HCA is known for its potential to inhibit the enzyme ATP-citrate lyase, which plays a role in fat synthesis. This may reduce fat accumulation and suppress appetite.
Blood Sugar Control: Some studies suggest it may help regulate blood sugar levels by improving insulin sensitivity.
Cholesterol Reduction: HCA has been linked to lowering LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides while increasing HDL (good cholesterol).
Anti-Inflammatory Effects: May help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation, though more research is needed.
2. Citric Acid
- Enhances Mineral Absorption: Helps improve the bioavailability of calcium and other minerals.
- Digestive Aid: Supports digestion by stimulating the production of digestive enzymes.
- Alkalising Effect: Although acidic, citric acid helps regulate the body’s pH when metabolised.
3. Tartaric Acid
- Antioxidant Properties: Helps combat oxidative stress, which contributes to ageing and chronic diseases.
- Aids Digestion: Works as a mild laxative, promoting gut health.
- Preservative Action: Prevents microbial growth in food and beverages.
4. Malic Acid
- Boosts Energy Production: Plays a role in the Krebs cycle, which generates energy in cells.
- Skin Health: Used in skincare for its exfoliating and hydrating properties.
- Reduces Muscle Fatigue: Helps combat muscle soreness, making it useful for athletes.
5. Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
- Immune Booster: Strengthens the immune system and enhances collagen production.
- Antioxidant: Protects cells from free radical damage.
- Enhances Iron Absorption: Helps in the absorption of plant-based iron.
Other Potential Benefits of Asam Keping
- Anti-Microbial Effects: Traditionally used to treat infections due to its antibacterial and antifungal properties.
- Digestive Health: Often used in traditional medicine to relieve bloating and indigestion.
- Cardiovascular Support: The combined effect of its acids may help improve heart health by managing blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation.
Our Production
100% natural
How is Asam Keping Grown?
From Tree Top to Magic Ingredient
The Asam Gelugur fruit grows all year round in tall trees in the rainforest. These trees grow to more than 20 metres in height and the fruits grow on the end of thin twigs. This is far higher than any ladder or our arms could reach! Luckily, we get some valuable help from animals that climb better than we can – the resident monkeys of the rainforest pick the Asam Gelugur fruits (Asam Keping, Tamarind, ส้มแขก, Garcinia atroviridis) to eat just the leaves. Without the monkeys the fruit would be very difficult to pick. The monkeys love to eat just the leaves and amazingly drop the part we want, the fruit! ha ha! This allows us to ‘simply’ collect the fruit from the ground (which otherwise would rot). Since the fruit is taken from the abundant rainforest and only what the monkeys are discarding, rather than culltivated, it is the very definition of ecological and organic with zero pesticides or fertilisers used. (We admit, we don’t pay the monkeys for their labour since it is freely given. Actually we wouldn’t be able to stop them hehe.)
Our production thanks Mother Nature’s kindness for the plants and animals, as you shall read. Firstly, we have the natural Malaysian rainforest on our doorstep.
Chop Chop into the Rain Shower
Back at our farm carrying heavy baskets of the Asam Gelugur/ Asam Keping fruit, we slice the fruit in two and remove the hard stone from the centre of each fruit.
We chop each fruit into 10-20 segments then place in buckets with a little salt water to wash; often it will rain heavily each day and we most often use this fresh rainwater to rinse the fruits thereby sparing the tap-water.
Slicing the hard Asam Gelugur fruit with a sharp knife.
Slice the Asam Gelugur fruit into 10-20 wedges, and place in a bucket of slightly salted water and often then rinsed by rainwater each day in late afternoon.
Soaking Up 2-days Sunshine
After the rain has passed, usually early next morning we place the bright yellow Asam Gelugur fruit segments out in the strong sunshine and clear clean air of northern Malaysia. It takes two full-days for the Asam Gelugur fruit to dry to a beautiful deep golden orange colour. The fruit has literally absorbed two days of strong tropical Malaysian sunshine and clean air. The sun’s ultra-violet (UV) rays both dry and sterilise the fruit naturally whilst the air is the cleanest in Malaysia too!
The last step is to bag, weigh, and uniquely label each batch ready for despatch to our customers. (You receive dried fruit not heavy water in semi-dried fruit.)
Where can I buy Asam Keping?
If you’d like to enjoy some of our fresh dried Asam Gelugur/ Asam Keping, (Tamarind, ส้มแขก, Garcinia atroviridis), contact us by WhatsApp, Telephone, or email.
Made in Malaysia
Fresh-air dried
All natural
Contains pure sunshine
Recipes
Cooking with Asam Gelugur is always fun with children keen to get involved.
Asam Gelugur (Asam Keping, Tamarind, Garcinia atroviridis) is recognised for its many health benefits but also mostly for it’s distinctive flavours valued in Asian dishes especially traditional Malaysian food where it features frequently. Here’s a few of our favourite recipes, and check our Instagram media for more.
Chicken Curry
by Ila This delicious chicken curry is made incredible with just a couple of slices of Asam Gelugor. This is a traditional recipe familiar to Malaysians, Indonesians and other countries.
Ingredients
- 1 Onion
- 3 Garli
- 3 Star Anise
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 pinch Ginger
- Curry leaves
- 5 tbsp Chicken Curry Powder
- 1 Whole Chicken cut into pieces
- 2 Tomatoes
- 5 Potatoes
- 2 Asam Gelugur slices
- Cooking Oil
- Coconut Milk
- 2 cups Water
- Salt to taste
Steps
- Heat up the cooking oil.
- Fry the onion + garlic + star anise + cinnamon stick + ginger.
- Add the curry powder + curry leaves.
- Add chicken and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
- Add cocunut milk + water.
- Add tomato and potatoes.
- Add 2 slices Asama Teping.
- Add a little salt.
- Heat for 10-15 minutes to allow the spices to fuse together.
- It’s ready!
Fresh chicken
Onion, Garlic, Star anise, Cinnamon, Ginger, Curry Leaves
Potatoes
Chicken Curry Powder
Fun Facts
Here’s a few fun facts about this amazing fruit.
- The fruit grows in very tall trees. Thankfully, the local monkeys pick the fruit, eat the leaves and allow the fruit to drop to the ground. haha!
- You’ll almost always find the natural Asam Gelugur fruit has a slight bruise because of the drop by the monkeys but since the fruit starts off quite hard the fruit is not badly damaged when it hits the ground vegetation around the asam gelugor tree. The monkeys are happy getting the leaves of the asam gelugor, and we are (very) happy not to be climbing 20 metres into the rainforest canopy to pick the heavy asam gelugor fruit dangling from little twigs. It’s a great relationship for us all, …and sustainable!
- There’s no fertilisers, chemicals, or machinery required in the harvest of our asam gelugor fruit.
- We harvest what the monkeys have allowed to drop to the ground rather than taken what nature wants itself.
English name: Tamarind (slice) Malay name: Asam Gelugur/ Asam Keping Thai name: ส้มแขก Scientific name: Garcinia atroviridis Wikipedia:
Monkeys eat the Asam Gelugur/ Asam Keping, (Tamarind, ส้มแขก, Garcinia atroviridis) leaves and drop the fruit which we then collect.
Made in Malaysia
Fresh-air dried
All natural
Contains pure sunshine
buy yours fresh & direct!
We are pleased to supply the freshest dried Asam Gelugur to food lovers, restaurants and food manufacturers in Malasia and worldwide. Please advise:
- Weight of dried fruit required, from 100g to 5Kg bags
- Frequency of supply e.g. weekly, monthly, one-off
- Collection from us or delivery to you.
Made in Malaysia
Fresh-air dried
All natural
