Fruit

[ElsieD]

24 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

 

Sadder is that they proudly say they breed berries for looks rather than taste.

 

Much, much sadder is that people buy them.  In the middle of strawberry season I see people at Costco stocking up on Driscoll berries.

[kayb]

Re: the mutant Driscoll's strawberries. They are somewhat interesting if you cap them and then fill the core that always seems to exist in the center with something like caramel or white chocolate.

 

Just sayin'.

 

 

[Thanks for the Crepes]

1 hour ago, kayb said:

Re: the mutant Driscoll's strawberries. They are somewhat interesting if you cap them and then fill the core that always seems to exist in the center with something like caramel or white chocolate.

 

Just sayin'.

 

 

 

Yeah kay, I never met a strawberry I really hated. Even the worst of them can be satisfying, so I don't limit myself to strictly local in-season ones. When I buy a box of them off season, I use the most white-shouldered ones sliced into a dressing of olive oil, soy sauce, sugar (or honey if I'm feeling flush) and vinegar in about equal proportions. I let this macerate for a while in the fridge while I work on the rest of dinner, then add washed and chilled green leaf lettuce and toss. By that time the strawberries have added their perfume to the dressing, and I always enjoy this.

 

For eating out of hand though, nothing can compare to a proper local in-season strawberry.

 

Some of the attitudes expressed in the New Yorker article by Driscoll reps were really, really out of touch with farming, and frankly scary. I have always tried to avoid this brand, and will do so religiously now. I swear there are some sick people out there determined to control our very food supply and the genetic pool for their own profit. 

[MelissaH]

On 8/23/2017 at 8:38 PM, ElsieD said:

 

Much, much sadder is that people buy them.  In the middle of strawberry season I see people at Costco stocking up on Driscoll berries.

My husband is a strawberry snob. No strawberries for him unless they're out of our local fields, and small and very red. Anything large or pale gets referred to by him as "Floridian" and not worthy of purchase.

 

I'm less picky, but I like strawberries to have flavor. Alas, this year was not a great year for strawberries in these parts: the spring was so wet that the local berries ballooned into a Floridian shape, with a diluted flavor to match. So no strawberry jam for us this winter!

[ElsieD]

33 minutes ago, MelissaH said:

My husband is a strawberry snob. No strawberries for him unless they're out of our local fields, and small and very red. Anything large or pale gets referred to by him as "Floridian" and not worthy of purchase.

 

I'm less picky, but I like strawberries to have flavor. Alas, this year was not a great year for strawberries in these parts: the spring was so wet that the local berries ballooned into a Floridian shape, with a diluted flavor to match. So no strawberry jam for us this winter!

 

I'm not quite as bad as your husband, but close.  I only eat local strawberries.  When they finish picking them, I stop eating them.  I do not buy Driscoll anything.

[liuzhou]

This morning I headed for my favourite supermarket.  Unlike my regular supermarkets, it is a good bus or taxi ride away so I don't go as often as I would like. However, there were a couple of things I wanted which only that place stocks. Mainly cheese!

 

While there, at the fruit section, I spotted a couple of oddities, one of which I bought.

 

First up is 雪莲果  xuě lián guǒ, literally 'snow lotus fruit'. Technically it isn't fruit at all, but the root of saussaria involocrata,  a native of the Alpine slopes of the Himalayas.

 

For scale, the largest one here is a foot long (30cm). Washed (they are muddy) and peeled, they have the texture of a particularly crisp apple and a mild, sweet taste slightly reminiscent of melon. In fact, not much taste at all. However they are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (what isn't?) and at least one study has credited them with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in mice.

 

Here is one washed and peeled. I just ate it.
 

 

The second oddity may be more familiar to some people here.

拇指西瓜  mǔ zhǐ xī guā, literally translates as 'thumb (or big toe) watermelon'. I'd go with the 'thumb' choice! Elsewhere, they are known as mouse melon, Mexican sour gherkin, cucamelon, Mexican miniature watermelon, Mexican sour cucumber or pepquinos They are the fruit of Melothria sabra, native to Mexico and Central America. How they ended up here I don't know.

About the size of grapes, they resemble tiny watermelons. Being imported (I guess), they were a bit on the expensive side and I had already spent more than I had planned, so I didn't buy them. As one of their names implies, they taste like slightly sour cucumbers. I'm glad I didn't buy them. For the price of one pack of the things, I could by 50 cucumbers and I already have vinegar!

 

 

Apologies for the picture, but as I wasn't buying them, I didn't feel I could get them out the package and artistically arrange and light them.

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2022 by liuzhou
typo (log)

[Nicolai]

I went shopping with the Powers that be and got so much fruits that I would make any Fruitarian proud.

 

I took a picture for you and you can see the following:

 

- Banana Chiquita

- Avocados

- Custard Apple

- Figs

- Nectarines

- Pears

- Persimmons Kaka

- Rambutans

- Pineaple

- Mangosteen

- Granadillas

 

Missing from the pics are: Watermelon - Apple Royal Gala - Apple Green - Kiwi - Mandarin Nadorcott - Valancia Oranges  and a pun of Physalis  that we had to return as no Bar Code was present.

 

Only 17 type of fruits. And yes the Avocado is a fruit as eaten in Brazil and other countries.

I will try to put all the 17 fruits together for a pic. In the mean time I ate couple of Figs - a Rambutan - a Banana before lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

[KennethT]

Where are you?  I didn't think it was still mangosteen season...

[liuzhou]

Today, I found the first passion fruit of the year (apart from ones which had obviously been in storage since last year),

 

 

For reasons which escape me they are known in Chinese as 鸡蛋果  (jī dàn guǒ) which literally translates as hen's egg fruit.

 

Also, alongside the usual pomelos, there was a variety I  haven't noticed before: Honey pomelos.

 

Regular pomelos

 

Honey pomelos

 

If they are following usual Chinese usage, that probably means that they are a sweeter than normal variety. I didn't buy one. I prefer the acidic citrus taste.

[FauxPas]

On 8/31/2017 at 11:44 PM, liuzhou said:

 

The second oddity may be more familiar to some people here.

拇指西瓜  mǔ zhǐ xī guā, literally translates as 'thumb (or big toe) watermelon' I'd go with the 'thumb' choice! Elsewhere, they are known as mouse melon, Mexican sour gherkin, cucamelon, Mexican miniature watermelon, Mexican sour cucumber or pepquinos They are the fruit of Melothria sabra, native to Mexico and Central America. How they ended up here I don't know.

About the size of grapes, they resemble tiny watermelons. Being imported (I guess), they were a bit on the expensive side and I had already spent more than I had planned, so I didn't buy them. As one of their names implies, they taste like slightly sour cucumbers. I'm glad I didn't buy them. For the price of one pack of the things, I could by 50 cucumbers and I already have vinegar!

 

 

Apologies for the picture, but as I wasn't buying them, I didn't feel I could get them out the package and artistcally arrange and light them.

 

 

They can be pretty tasty. We get them in our local CSA farm share, some of which is pictured here. I don't think they are hard to grow. You can see them in lower right in this image. I think we get them once or twice a year. 

 

[liuzhou]

2 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

They can be pretty tasty. We get them in our local CSA farm share, some of which is pictured here. I don't think they are hard to grow. You can see them in lower right in this image. I think we get them once or twice a year. 

 

Yes, I'm not surprised they turn up in North America, but was surprised to see them here in China.

[FauxPas]

15 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

Yes, I'm not surprised they turn up in North America, but was surprised to see them here in China.

 

I'm not sure how many North Americans are familiar with them, either. They may be unusual to some people here, also. Our CSA farmer likes to try different things. 

 

Emphasis on "north" americans, ha. They may be much more common in southern parts of N America. 

Edited October 18, 2017 by FauxPas (log)

[chromedome]

I think they're a pretty niche thing. My father grew them, and I have a small mason jar of pickled mouse melons he put up last year. I also have the leftover seed, and will try to grown them in next year's garden. I can see them being a big hit with the grandkids. 

[liuzhou]

Today, I picked up a small bunch of these. As you  can see they are small bananas. I'm wondering if they have a standard or common name in English. I know the local Chinese name, but Mr.Google is not helping.

 

 I bought some ripe ones to eat now and some green ones which will hopefully be ready when I get back from a two or three day trip I'm setting out on in the morning.

 

 

Edited January 16, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

[Anna N]

I am only ever seen them labeled “baby bananas” but the ones I see don’t really resemble the ones you bought. Yours seem to be much more rotund shall we say. 

 

 Baby bananas also show up in the supermarket with red skins. 

 

 I am not a banana fan and the only time I have tasted these they seemed overly sweet. 

Edited January 16, 2018 by Anna N
Sense (log)

[liuzhou]

10 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I am only ever seen them labeled “baby bananas” but the ones I see don’t really resemble the ones you bought. Yours seem to be much more rotund shall we say. 

 

 Baby bananas also show up in the supermarket with red skins. 

 

 I am not a banana fan and the only time I have tasted these they seemed overly sweet. 

 

 

Yes, they are not the only small bananas I've seen and more "rotund" as you say. They do tend to be sweeter, too.

 

I've eaten the red skin ones, too. In Laos or Cambodia. I forget which..

[Lisa Shock]

I think I may have seen the bananas at a local grocery store called Sprouts. I believe they might be 'burro bananas'. Apparently they are mostly grown in Mexico. I have no idea how or why they showed up in China.

[liuzhou]

16 minutes ago, Lisa Shock said:

I think I may have seen the bananas at a local grocery store called Sprouts. I believe they might be 'burro bananas'. Apparently they are mostly grown in Mexico. I have no idea how or why they showed up in China.

 

Well, given that bananas are native to S.E. Asia (which, to me, includes where I live In China), I'm a lot more surprised they showed up in Mexico!

We get many varieties here. Once they are in season. I'll try to post em.

But thanks for the "sprouts" name.

[Darienne]

The eGullet expert on bananas is Panaderia Canadiensis.  You could try sending a message to her to catch her attention.  

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I haven't gotten anything really interesting or exotic in a while since it's so hard for me to shop, but I did have access to Cottle Farms strawberries at my local Food Lion recently. It's about 70 miles from here, and man, were they good!

 

I also thought to share this video on stupidly expensive grapes from Buzz Feed. They have been discussed, or at least brought up here before, but I found it interesting to see someone eating them. I also found it interesting that no one in the video tried in any way to justify the expense of $57 for a single grape out of the bunch.

 

I kind of like Buzz Feed food videos because it allows me to share vicariously in ridiculously expensive food experiences while being mostly home bound and broke. I also dislike it for the mean Caucasian guy that I want to smack an average of a couple times per video because of his upstaging of Stephen (sp?) the Asian (Malaysian/Chinese, I think). I guess this is probably planned and plays well to the young folks. It makes me mad, though, but I keep watching to get to see the food experiences I will never have.

 

I can't see anywhere near the value of the price of these Japanese grapes even after watching the video. Granted they are lovely-looking fruit, but come on ... 

[heidih]

Lychee today at Korean market (H-Mart). $2.59/lb. I  squirted juice all over me just opening a few; and I'm a veteran. Good flavor too. Chilling for a cool snack later.

[MetsFan5]

The fruit back at home in NJ isn’t local yet. 

 

  But I’m in Northern CA for a bit and the strawberries are fantastic!! The corn is decent too. 

Edited June 14, 2018 by MetsFan5 (log)

[liuzhou]

I bought a bunch of lychees a few days ago.

 

 

Just finished them when my dearest friend J called to say she was coming to see me to give me something. Always happy to see her.

 

She arrived with a kilo of lychees. It turns out the local harvest has been phenomenal - in fact too much so. There is a glut of the things and price has dropped to virtually zero leaving the farmers with problems.

 

To offer assistance to the farmers, the local government has stepped in and bought up tons of them and distributed them to their staff. J works for the local government in the department that promotes local foods, so she has first call!

 

She and her husband and son are working their way through them and she decided to unload some on me. Tonight, she brought her son with her. I offered him one and he looked sick and declined! I think he's been eating them non-stop for days!

 

 

Over the years I've seen the government do the same over gluts of bananas and oranges.

Edited June 24, 2018 by liuzhou (log)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

I had the first fresh yellow peach of the season for breakfast, and it was juicy, sweet, tangy and peachy, just like I always hope for from a peach and seldom realize. It had been left of the counter at room temp for six days, and I put the others in the fridge to enjoy later.

[kayb]

Peaches, blackberries, and and a cantaloupe this morning at the Farmers' Market.