Plant atlas Short
Thai Hog Plum: The Sour Fruit In Som Tam
Thai Hog Plum · มะกอก · Spondias pinnata
Thai Hog Plum — มะกอก (ma-kok) — Spondias pinnata.
Bite the firm green fruit and it turns your mouth inside out, a resinous sour that Thai cooks pound into som tam when lime feels too soft. The fruit carries vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, and potassium, and the tart young leaves get eaten raw beside chili dips. The parts on your plate are the fruit and the young leaves. For all its sourness, hog plum is really a cook's tool — pounded green into som tam when lime feels too gentle, its young leaves torn raw into a plate of chili dip. Bright, sharp, and endlessly useful in a Thai kitchen. Follow Longevity Biome for a new Thai plant every day.
Som Tam Makok — ส้มตำมะกอก (som-tam-ma-kok)
Bai Makok kap Nam Prik — ใบมะกอก (bai-ma-kok)
Source: Hazra B et al. (2008). Antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activity of Spondias pinnata stem bark (in vitro). BMC Complement Altern Med. PMID 19068130. Iron-overload liver protection in mice: Sarkar S et al. (2016). BMC Pharmacol Toxicol. PMID 27459849, DOI:10.1186/s40360-016-0077-6.
Educational content, not medical advice! Consult your doctor before changing diet or medication.
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Food and nutrients
Rich in: Vitamin C, Vitamin A, fiber, potassium
Research context
Antioxidant lab work on hog plum used the tree's bark, in vitro and in mice; the fruit you eat is a tart vitamin-C source — BMC journals, 2008-2016