Rujak manis — Bali Island, Indonesia

Rujak manis is a fruit salad of firm, often unripe fruit sliced thick and coated in a thick, sweet-and-spicy dressing built from ground palm sugar, tamarind, chili and roasted peanuts. The dressing clings to the fruit rather than pooling underneath it, and the fruit stays crunchy rather than soft. It is reported from Bali, where it is sold from carts and market stalls as a snack rather than a dessert course, eaten standing up or on the go, and adjusted per customer for how much chili goes into the dressing. To prepare it, unripe mango, pineapple, cucumber, jicama, green apple or other crunchy fruit are peeled and cut into thick wedges or chunks. Palm sugar, tamarind water, chili, roasted peanuts and a pinch of salt are ground together into a thick paste, thinned with a little water if needed, then tossed directly with the fruit just before serving. What sets rujak manis apart from the sour, savory rujak kuah pindang or from acar-style pickles is the deliberate sweetness of the dressing balanced against the raw fruit's tartness and the chili's heat — three notes held together rather than one dominating. Vendors vary the fruit selection by season and adjust the chili level to taste.