Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-11
TROPICAL FRUITS.


Queer Names and Queerer Fruit
The Forbidden Fruit Of Paradtse-
Oranges and COcOaDutS.
The quantity OF tropical fruit consumed in
this city Is constantly increasing. We are be-
ginning to receive In market some OF the choice
varieties OF oranges ana bananas, while man
goes sapodillas, star apples, chirimoyas or Gus
tard apples, soursops, mammees, pomegranates
bread fruit, and occasionally auavas and fresh
cocoanuts are included In the lists OF the fruit
stalls.
Mangoes from Jamaica are among the most
delicious of these rare fruits. They are pear
shaped, with thick, golden, red-cneeked rind
ana an orange colored pulp. "A large pit like
peach stone takes up half the fruit and contains
bitter kernel The specimens of this fruit
brought to market are sail by those who have
eaten 1t In South America and Jamaica to be
exeellen I. It is necessary to pick the mango
are picked are devoid of flavor and worthless
It is conse quently perishabe cargo, aud fully
20 per cent OF those brought to this market
spoil before they reach the country. The sweet
mango is the species usually seen here. There
Is slightly acid kind sometimes sold. which is
very pleasant to the taste. In selecting man
thick. 1eathery r1nd retains its shape long after
the fTult Is soft and is considered spoiled.
Fresh mangoes are worth from so cents to 81 a
dozen.
The sweet mangoes put I'D at Bombay are
famous East India chutney, AMI popular ac
COMPARTMENT OF curries 10 England. Though
s sanb1 t used q IN this They
confounded With picked muskmelons which
keepers.
The sapodIlla is a brown fruit. the size and
shape OF q large plum. 1t Is served for de-
sert, and is extremely juicy. The variety
erought here from Jamaica Is the nisper, of
south America. 1t has several stones like
date stones. and its taste is OF cloyfng sweet,
ness. Ripe sapodllas are offered fn our mar
Gets Ia fair condition at 40 to so cents dozen.
Canned sapodillas from Nassau are 80 cents q
can.
An enthusiast, speaking OF the fruit OF the
Antilles. calls the custard apple the spiritual.
lied strawberry" The rlnd when ripe is a
sembles In appearance firm custard. and is
thickly set with black seeds. 1t is described as
happy mixture OF sweetness and acid. The
sweetsop IS spoken OF by travellers as fruit
frosted with sugar" The ' guanapa4 eaea1 o.
soursop is slightly acid, and is considered
oy creoles the most delicious OF all fruit-an
1t In Jamaica and elsewhere are ready TO
lndorSe. 1t is popularity served In the West
indies soaked In wine. The only fruit In the
United states OF the same family as the chirl-
moya sWestsop and soursop is the pawpaw
OF the Mississippi Valley. Custard apples and
soursops are sold In our markets, but they are
the most difficult OF all fruits to transport and
persons who have resided In the tropics are
rarely seen. Custard apples can be bought for
from 10 to 20 cents apiece, and soursops from
20 to 40 cents. A few lots OF chirimoyas have
reached this country In fine order but were
brought In refrIgeraJors. The caimito or star
apple Is OF the same family as the sapodilla.
Ii Is favorite fruit OF Cuba, though 1fS pacu-
n iaa TASTE or lack OF TASTE rarely Pleases any
one VINO is not accustomed to 1t. Its pink and
white flesh, however, Is very pretty. Star
apples are 40 to 80 cents dozen.
The hard red mammee Is the variety Of this
fruit oftenest brought TO our market. IL Ia
gray streaked with red, and when cut is a rich
yellow, and gives forth a fragrant, magnolia
ike odor. II Is used In Cuba as a preserve
and though sometimes eaten raw, is too hard
TO De easily digestibie. The soft mammee is
sweet and much more wholesome, ana Is ia.
Vorite dessert fruit Mammees are from 10 TO
ID cents apiece
unfortunately most per,shabie fruit A few
specimens have come IN refrigeTatOrs, but they
are rarely offered in oGr markets. They are
small pear. shaped, canary. colored anu pink
inside, and extremely fragrant and luscious.
The jelly, Which is SO well known to commerce
Is sold In tiny boxes at % cents, and In larger
packages at 81. Canned guavas are 80 cents
can,
Tine red and yellow banana are not different
species. All bananas are naturally yellow and
ale made red by grating. The effect Of the
graft runs out In seven Years, when we have
sometimes bananas that are red spotted or
stIeaked with yellow. There are over forty or
fifty varieties OF this fruit. The little guinness
Or Zig banana Is not unknown to our fruit
OF the finest species. It is delightful In odor
and taste. and sells In our markets, despite its
small size, at 81 dozen. The plaintain and
banana are OF the same family: The Oriental
Eden believed that the banana was
the forbidden fruit, and named it the stree
Oh paradise, though The forbidden fruit"
sold In Paris fruit stalls and In our own
markets Is species OF orange, the grape shad-
dock. It is Of no special value, Is ACID, and Is
kept more Tor display than for anything else.
me iegend sa! S II Was good TIL Eve tasted It,
Out IL has been bad silce. The deep depres,
sions near The stem OF the fruit like The marks
OF teeth are supposed to be the origin OF It's
Calm. The mandarin oranges are a small
species OF fruit vita a datk colored perfumed
aLd hardly thicker than brown paper. The
angeTine ls variety OF mandarin. IL Is the
hiBnes,-skihned species Of orange known
Nandarin ana tangerine oranges. which are in
make during the winter months, are cola
rom % cents to 81 dozen. The seedless St
Nlcsaei oranges are brought from the Azores,
and though common In England are seldom
seen In this country. They are a small, light
excellent in flavor. In this city they bring
from 60 cents to Is cents q dozen.
Fresh cocoanuts Or the immature c0coanuts
picked when they are half ripe, are the favorIte
FOOD and beverage OF the tropics. They are
occasionally brought to this market, but
large proportion spoil before they arrive. The
stem and green cup at the base dropping Off Is
the external indication that they have soured
The natives use huge knife called faac1.ete.
as large as butchers cleaVer, to open the nut,
which they strike On the stem END. hole Is
thus made through the hHsk and shell, and the
soft pulp OF the nut is scooped out and placed
10 goblet. The milk, which at this stage, is
as clear as spring water, is poured over the
pulp, and 1t is thus served to guests with
orange flowers In the goblets. lie Is drunk and
eaten with snoon. Ii is declared by most
people who have eaten it to be the most deli
cfous form OF this well-known palm fruit,
which the Ceylonese believe Will not grow out
or the sound of the human voice. THE Indian
Will be iDdolent," says the South American
pIoVeIb, so long as the dorado fsh f1oats In
the river or the cocoanut palm yields It's fruit. !"
". T. Tribune.
ANOTHER DEATH FROM HYDRoPHoBIA.-Fre1-
erick Herman kroger II years OF age, dted In
New YORK wednesday, from hydropnOhia. The
BOYS parents are German, and live In west
iSd street. He was bitten by mad dog April
%. but the wound healed and no III effects