Hala fruit, which is eaten exclusively by Pacific Islanders and visitors to the region, is made up of dozens of segments, called keys or cones. The innards of each key are pulpy, while the green outer edge is so fibrous it can be used as dental floss. Islanders chew on the raw fruit, boil it with grated coconut, or grind it into a paste. One taster likened the flavor of fresh hala juice to “a mixture of sugarcane and mango,” with the consistency of thick nectar.
The fruit ferments rapidly, emitting a stench that’s earned it the nickname “stink nut.”