Frightfully freaky fruit

[spaghetttti]

Why thank you, Melissa. I wonder if any of these fruits are available to you down in Georgia, hope you'll try some. Perhaps a venture into duriandom?

[Gifted Gourmet]

It is quite possible, when I visit the DeKalb Farmers' Market here this market.. the amount of ethnic and unusual food has grown astoundingly over the years since I first moved here! And that is a good thing for the city and its culinarily-involved residents.

[Pan]

Yetty, I have enjoyed mango achar on some occasions. For example, my ex-girlfriend's mother, a Guyanese-Canadian of Indian ancestry, made a terrific one. I could also see how pickled papaya (perhaps especially pickled unripe papaya?) could be good.

[Mooshmouse]

Yetty, I have enjoyed mango achar on some occasions. For example, my ex-girlfriend's mother, a Guyanese-Canadian of Indian ancestry, made a terrific one. I could also see how pickled papaya (perhaps especially pickled unripe papaya?) could be good.

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Mmmmm. Picked papaya is known as atchara/achara in the Philippines and, as you had guessed, it's a very tasty condiment... sorry, Yetty! Click here for a recipe link.

[sazji]

Unfortunately many tropical fruits are not availabe fresh in the US becasue of Mediterranean fruit fly and other pest fears. (Evidently medfly incidents in Florida are common during Vietnamese New Year because people want their familiar fruits, and smuggle the fruits down from Canada.) Durians are all frozen. I remember seeing frozen sweetsops in asian markets; disgusting. Some things do show up - lychees and a few mangoes other than the fibrous Mexican ones.

However Canada is another story. Not having any tropical agricultural zones, they are much freer. When I lived in Seattle, I would go up to Vancouver with Cambodian friends, and we would all pitch in our money and buy a S_ _ _ load of whatever looked good and in season in Chinatown. Rambutans, durian, longans, mangosteens...oh...mangosteens...

This thread did get me going...I really did find myself checking airline ticket prices from Istanbul to Kuala Lumpur (and not that bad actually....hmmm...). If I go in February, what's in season? Is it worth it? When's the best time to go for the biggest variety?

[Pan]

Fresh lychees are available in the US in large part because they're grown in Florida, though I've also bought Israeli ones. I guess Israel doesn't have Medflies?

[Goat Hill Studio]

Unfortunately many tropical fruits are not availabe fresh in the US becasue of Mediterranean fruit fly and other pest fears.  (Evidently medfly incidents in Florida are common during Vietnamese New Year because people want their familiar fruits, and smuggle the fruits down from Canada.)  Durians are all frozen. I remember seeing frozen sweetsops in asian markets; disgusting.  Some things do show up - lychees and a few mangoes other than the fibrous Mexican ones.

However Canada is another story.  Not having any tropical agricultural zones, they are much freer.  When I lived in Seattle, I would go up to Vancouver with Cambodian friends, and we would all pitch in our money and buy a S_ _ _ load of whatever looked good and in season in Chinatown.  Rambutans, durian, longans, mangosteens...oh...mangosteens...

This thread did get me going...I really did find myself checking airline ticket prices from Istanbul to Kuala Lumpur (and not that bad actually....hmmm...).  If I go in February, what's in season?  Is it worth it?  When's the best time to go for the biggest variety?

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Can anyone tell me if snake fruit, Salacca edulis or the fruit from the Salak Palm is available in the US or Canada. I discovered it during a recent trip to Indonesia where I ate it almost every day. I don't have a picture but the plum-shaped fruit is covered with a skin that truly resembles that of a snake. I've been seeking it in the US but no luck so far. I don't know if it travels well and it is said to grow only in Bali. I would kill for regular source.

Thanks,

Aimee

[SuzySushi]

We get a lot of exotic tropical fruits here in Hawaii -- lychees, rambutans, longans, jackfruit, guava, cherimoya, passionfruit, soursop, dragonfruit, durian... (Haven't seen mangosteen yet, though...) Most of them are grown right here, though not on a commercial scale like mangoes and papayas.

[mochihead]

I can second SuzySushi about the tropical fruits here in Hawaii. A lot of the ones that she mentioned are both cultivated and wildly growing everywhere here on the Big Island. And, if you get a chance to go to our local farmer's market in Hilo on a Saturday, you will probably find all of those mentioned at one time or another - including the mangosteen (which is normally sold by the Swedish couple on the mauka end of the market).

I'll have to remember to take a camera to the market next week, although the produce isn't quite as varied as during the summer months. The only fruit that qualifed as "frightfully freaky" the first time I met it was durian, but that was getting used to the smell. :-/

[Tepee]

This thread did get me going...I really did find myself checking airline ticket prices from Istanbul to Kuala Lumpur (and not that bad actually....hmmm...).  If I go in February, what's in season?  Is it worth it?  When's the best time to go for the biggest variety?

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Malaysian fruits are mostly perennial. Durians mostly make their appearance around January and July, together with mangosteens. But, don't just come to Msia for her fruit, do visit the Elsewhere in Asia/Pacific forums for threads on Malaysia, and be really TEMPTED.

To get really exotic jungle fruit, go to East Malaysia, Sarawak in particular, during May-August.

Edited October 23, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[sazji]

Fresh lychees are available in the US in large part because they're grown in Florida, though I've also bought Israeli ones. I guess Israel doesn't have Medflies?

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I would sure expect them too, but perhaps they are better about control? When I went to Puerto Rico, the only fruit I was allowed to bring back was pineapple, no mangos, guanabana, anything. Yet mangos obviously show up in the US; it must have to do with quarantine practices/controls.

[Pan]

You were bringing them back to where?

[sazji]

You were bringing them back to where?

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The US. I had gotten a couple of guanabanas but they were checking everyone as they went into the airport and they told me I could only bring pineapples. So we went to a corner and I snarfed one.

[sazji]

This picture was posted on another forum for identification, but no definite IDs yet. Does anyone recognize it? I've never seen a fruit with a leaf sticking out the side of it before! It evidently grows on a vine.

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b60/sazji/mysteryfruitpost4yh.jpg" border="0" alt="Image hosting by Photobucket"></a>

[PPPans]

This picture was posted on another forum for identification, but no definite IDs yet.  Does anyone recognize it?  I've never seen a fruit with a leaf sticking out the side of it before! It evidently grows on a vine.

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It was in fact identified last month with the help of someone at the GardenWeb forum.

Barbados gooseberry - Pereskia aculeata Mill., a type of cactus.

Such a wonder!

Edited February 18, 2006 by PPPans (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

another unusual fruit Nipple Fruit Eggplant ornamental but apparently nonedible ...

[sazji]

another unusual fruit  Nipple Fruit Eggplant ornamental but apparently nonedible ...

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Ooooh, baby....

I was at a food fair recently held by Turkey's main upscale food wholesaler and importer. There were all sorts of things I don't normally see in the markets here - like plain old western celery (completely unknown here). But the best stand was from a tropical fruit wholesaler. Perfectly fresh pineapple, fresh litchis (how long has it been...), mangos... They also had some sort of ground cherry that was very very sweet and more fragrant than any I'd tried before. We were there at the end of the last day so they were giving away lots of things...we took home a great haul! And I saved lots of seeds of the ground cherry to grow them this summer.

[miladyinsanity]

Ooh I love Pulasan. The white flesh doesn't stick to the seed as much too!

[daisy17]

Sure you've all seen green starfruit, but my fearless travel companion in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico had to snap a photo of these yellow/orange ones. Because we're dumb, we did not buy and taste one. Too busy eating tacos and chilaquiles.

Edited March 26, 2006 by daisy17 (log)

[Pan]

Starfruit/carambola (called belimbing in Malay) are fine when fresh and cheap, but I consider a good belimbing distinctly inferior to a good orange or tangerine, etc. That said, again, if it's cheap in Mexico, sure, go ahead and try a couple.

[Mooshmouse]

Starfruit/carambola (called belimbing in Malay)...

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And balimbing in the Philippines.

Ripe starfruit are usually rather juicy with a slightly tart/tangy flavour; however, a Google search reveals that there exists a variety called honey starfruit that's rather sweet and fragrant (source).

[Tepee]

Yes, the honey starfruit is easily available in Malaysia. No tartness at all.

[Alchemist]

This was bought at a bustling market in the exotic Union Square. It has two nicely c ontrasting textures, silky and crunchy. Cool veinlike things in shiney part. And sweet, cut not cloying. From New Zealand.

Edited March 27, 2006 by Alchemist (log)

[eje]

This was bought at a bustling market in the exotic Union Square.  It has two nicely c ontrasting textures, silky and crunchy.  Cool veinlike things in shiney part. And sweet, cut not cloying.  From New Zealand.

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Pineapple Guava is one of my favorite fruits! Around these parts they appear in local farmers' markets in late fall. As far as I know, they aren't really grown commercially in the US.

I like to give them to unsuspecting guests and watch their faces as they try to wrap their minds around the flavors and textures of the fruit.

[Kouign Aman]

Trader Joe's now has dried dragon fruit. You dont get to experience the wild-looking exterior, but you do get to dye your fingers and lips bright pink in the eating of it.