The Exotic Fruits Asian Pear The oldest known cultivated pear, the fragrant Asian pear dates to 1100 B.C. It is very juice, crisp and slightly sweet. Color ranges from green to yellow to brown. Select firm fruit. Refrigerate three to four weeks. Asian Pear Uses: Eat out of hand, add to fruit salads, bake like apples. Cactus Pear Also called a prickly pear, this sweet, somewhat bland berry has a melon-like aroma and small, hard seeds. It comes from a variety of cactuses and ranges in color from green to purplish-red. Buy firm, ripen at room temperature up to two days, then refrigerate up to three days. Take care with the prickles. Cactus Pear Uses: Carefully peel the skin, slice or cut lengthwise, and scoop out seeds with a spoon. Serve cold. Use in marmalades, jelly, ice cream or dessert toppings and blended drinks. Cherimoya Also called a custard apple, this tropical fruit is native to Central and South America and has creamy white pulp with large, black, almond-shaped seeds. Its flavor resembles a delicate cross between a pineapple , papaya and banana .

Select blemish and bruise-free fruit, ripen at room temperature until soft, and then refrigerate, well wrapped, up to four days. Serve well chilled. Cherimoya Uses: Slice it in half, remove seeds and scoop out flesh with a spoon. Add to tropical fruit salads, puree for fruit drinks or use as a topping for ice cream or pudding. Guava The skin color of guava fruit varies from yellow to green to pink. Flesh may be pale yellow to bright red. It tastes sweet to sour, so eat only when very ripe. Choose tender fruit with some yellow; store at room temperature until soft. Refrigerate up to two days. Guava Uses: Enjoy alone or use in jams, jellies, sauces or deserts. Kiwano Horned Melon Grown in New Zealand but originally from tropical Africa, these spiked melons with edible seeds have jelly-like pulp and a sweet-tart flavor evocative of bananas and cucumbers. Select fruit free of bruises and splits; store at room temperature up to two weeks. At peak ripeness, it turns golden orange.

Kiwano Horned Melon Uses: Slice into wedges or cut in half lengthwise and eat directly from shell with a spoon. Use shell as a serving dish for ice cream topped with the pulp or for fruit dips. Korean Melon This bright, yellow and white ribbed gourd has white, crispy flesh arid is aromatic. Choose firm, symmetrical melons with good rind color and a dull, waxy texture. Store uncut melons up to five days at room temperature. Wrap cut melons in plastic and refrigerate up to three days. Korean Melon Uses: Eat fresh in wedges or cube and add to fruit salads. Use as a garnish or serve with ice cream. Kumquats These miniature orange "footballs" are entirely edible, with a sweet skin and tart pulp. Choose firm, glossy fruit and store at room temperature up to two days, then refrigerate up to two weeks. Kumquat Uses: Enjoy whole, or slice into salads or desserts. Or try this quick recipe: Cooked Sweet Kumquats 2 cups white sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Wash kumquats and cover with water in a non-aluminum saucepan.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Add sugar and cinnamon, return to a boil and cook for five minutes. Remove from heat and drain. Passion Fruit Native to Brazil, this is the largest berry around. Its leathery, purple-brown skin becomes brittle and wrinkled when ripe. The yellowish, jelly-like pulp has a lemony, tart flavor and contains many small, black edible seeds. Select one heavy for is size; pulp is ripe when skin is wrinkled. Refrigerate up to one week. Passion Fruit Uses: Cut fruit in half and scoop out pulp with a spoon. Use to top ice cream or add to blended drinks. To enjoy passion fruit alone, cut in half and dip out the seeds and the fruit with a spoon. The seeds are edible, munch away. The film between the seeds and the skin is edible, but not particularly tasty. If you got a very sharp passion fruit, sprinkle with sugar as you eat it. Passion fruit can be juiced with all the seeds in a mixer and crush. You can filter out the little bits or leave, depending on what you want.

Common drinks with passion fruit include passion fruit-aid, passion and carrot juice, passion fruit margarita and passion fruit tea. Use passion fruit juice to make a sauce. It is delicious in curries and over fish. Coconut milk and sauces pair nicely with it. Baking. Any recipe that uses lemon juice can be substituted with passion fruit juice. Passion fruit poppy seed muffins, passion fruit bars and passion fruit cake. See also: Faithweb: Passion Fruit and Passion Fruit Cocktails Plantain Classified as a fruit, but mostly served as a vegetable side dish. Cooked green, plantains have a starchy taste with no banana overtones. Cooked ripe, they have a sweet banana taste with a cheesy, gummy texture. Select firm; do not refrigerate until ripe. To peel plantains, cut off ends. Cut slit lengthwise through inner curve of skin. Cut crosswise into one-half inch rounds and, beginning at slit, pry off skin. Plantain Uses: When green, bake, slice, fry or add to soups and stews. When more yellow, bake or saute and add brown sugar, cinnamon or dash of lemon juice.

Sharon Persimmon Grown in China and Japan since ancient times, this fruit is pale orange to brilliant orange-red and is nearly seedless. It has a sweet, mild flavor. Store in a cool place; use within a month. Blemishes or black spots on the skin do not affect the interior. Refrigerate ripe fruit up to three days. Sharon Persimmon Uses: Eat like an apple or in a riper stage, sliced and added to fruit salads or desserts . Starfruit Also known as carambola, it resembles a star when sliced crosswise. When ripe, the skin turns a thin, glossy yellow with brown spots along the ridges indicating sugar development. Flavor ranges from tangy sweetness to lemon tartness and the fruit can be eaten in its entirety. Store at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate in covered container. Starfruit Uses: Slice and enjoy. Add to fruit salad or use in jellies, tarts and drinks.

Recipe: Starfruit and Strawberries 9 Funky Fruits You Have to Try 9 Funky Fruits You Have to Try World Food by Jo F | on April 11th, 2012 | 22 comments When was the last time you picked up a fruit that had an unpronounceable name and promised complete unknown within? If you enjoy exploring new tastes, here are 9 funky fruits you have to try. 1) Rambutan, Malaysia/Indonesia Rambutan—messy haired fruit with juicy white flesh. Photo by kool.angot . Rambutan is thought to be native to Malaysia and Indonesia but is wildly popular throughout Southeast Asia. Its Vietnamese name, chôm chôm meaning “messy hair,” is a fitting description of rambutan’s fuzzy outer layer. Inside, the fruit is like a larger, juicier version of a lychee, with soft white flesh and an inedible seed. It is easy to peel and usually eaten raw or added to fruit salad. Make sure the skin is red for ripeness and the “hair” isn’t black. 2) Jackfruit, India Jackfruit—the largest fruit to be plucked from trees.

Photo by abcdz2000 . Jackfruit is thought to have come from India but is now common in East Africa, Jamaica, Brazil and Southeast Asia. It can claim the award for being the largest fruit that comes from a tree, weighing as much as 80 pounds. It has a tangy banana flavor and its consistency is fibrous with a starchy flesh, which, when it is less ripe, makes a great chicken substitute in Sri Lankan and Eastern Indian curries. Sweet fans can put jackfruit in custards and cakes or eat it as dried chips. 3) Kiwano, Africa Kiwano—an indecisive fruit that is a cross between a melon, cucumber, banana and lemon. Photo by V31S70 . Kiwano is a fruit of many names—horned melon, horned cucumber and even English tomato. It is thought to be part of the melon family, has a jelly-like flesh and tastes somewhere between a cucumber and banana with the tangy taste of lemon. In its native land, the Kiwano is eaten as a snack or in salad while in other countries its vibrant skin is regularly used to garnish dishes as well as being an edible fruit.

All parts, including the seeds and skin, are edible, though it is more common to eat only the pulp. 4) Fingered Citron, Northeast India/China Fingered citron, otherwise known as Buddha’s hand. Photo by xeni . Otherwise known as the Buddha’s hand, the fingered citron can be traced back to Northeast India and China. Unlike most citrus fruit, the fingered citron contains only a small amount of edible flesh and is predominantly comprised of bitter peel. The fingers stretch around four to six inches in length and despite its often seedless and juiceless attributes, it has still been put to edible use by being candied or used as zest in cooking. The rind can also be added to salad or fish. 5) Ackee, West Africa Ackee—Jamaican staple, great with saltfish. Photo by DrewToYou . The ackee is another lychee relative, but much larger. When ripe, the fruit turns red and the skin parts to reveal three black, inedible pips and a soft, creamy colored flesh. The fruit was imported from West Africa to Jamaica in the 18th century, where it became the national fruit.

Ackee with saltfish is Jamaica’s national dish and is popular at breakfast. Beware, though, the fruit is toxic when unripe. Even when ready to eat, it is fully cleaned and boiled for half an hour. 6) Durian, Indonesia/Malaysia Durian—love it or hate it, everyone should try it . . . at least once. Photo by YIM Hafiz . Durian requires little introduction on account of its odor, which some describe as a cross between sewers and rotting onions. More appealing is the description given by naturalist Alfred Wallace who claimed the fruit had “a rich custard highly flavored with almonds.” Many describe a mix of the two—a custardy consistency with an onion flavor, but it is worth forming your own opinion. Do, however, be careful where you try the fruit as it is banned in some hotels. Durian is eaten raw and also added to ice cream, cakes and even cappuccino. 7) Pitaya, Mexico/Central America Pitaya, otherwise known as dragon fruit, great in a smoothie. Photo by chooyutshing .

Derived from the cactus family, the pitaya, more commonly known as dragon fruit, has a striking look—fiery red with green spikes on the outside and white and black speckled flesh inside. Thought to originate from Mexico or Central America, pitaya is also popular in Asia. Only the flesh is eaten and is similar in taste to melon or kiwi with a delicate flavor. The fruit has a high water content and is often eaten raw or juiced. The fruit is also known for its flowers, which can be used to make tea. 8) Mangosteen, Malaysia Mangosteen—no, that’s not a garlic bulb inside. Photo by su-lin . The mangosteen can be traced back to the Sunda Islands, Malaysia, and is available through Southeast Asia. It has a hard, inedible dark purple skin and inside the white flesh is shaped like a garlic bulb but is sweet and juicy. Be careful as seeds are tucked inside each of the segments and are bitter. The flesh is most often eaten raw, and in countries where there are restrictions on imports, mangosteen can sometimes be found canned or frozen. 9) Ugli, Jamaica Ugli fruit . . . but tasty fruit.

Photo by Oggie Dog . The Ugli fruit’s brand name is a fair description of its saggy, wrinkly, brownish skin, but doesn’t do justice to the sweetness inside. Native to Jamaica, the Ugli fruit has links with the citrus family. The fruit’s taste is a combination of the sourness of grapefruit, the robustness of an orange and the tangy taste of a tangerine. When ripe, its slack brown skin morphs to orange and is sweeter than its tangerine and grapefruit relatives. It is versatile enough for salads, cheesecake and marmalade. Have you tried any of these funky fruits or are there any that should be added to the list? Let me know in the comments below. If you liked this article, you might also like: Top 10 Most Daring Delicacies in the World . Main photo: Want something more exotic from your market stall? by frankartculinary .

A Visual Guide to Latin American and Caribbean Produce | Epicurious.com | Epicurious.com A Visual Guide to Latin American and Caribbean Produce Get to know the fruits and vegetables from Central and South America Text by Esther Sung; photos by Chris Astley share print A fricans, East Indians, Spanish, Portuguese, and other populations all converged in Central and South America, and influenced the cuisines of Latin America and the Caribbean. Fruits and vegetables migrated in and out of the southern hemisphere by way of exploration and trade. While some items, like mangoes and plantains, are readily found in most local grocery stores, other fruits and vegetables require a trip to a Latin American market or specialty gourmet shop. We also recommend online shops such as Melissa's , Frieda's , or Ecuadorian Food Delivery . Mango Characteristics: The world's most popular fruit originated from the Indian subcontinent but now flourishes in tropical climates throughout the world. This bean-shaped fruit is characterized by a skin that varies from lime green to rosy red to lemon yellow. The flesh is usually yellow-orange and sweet and juicy when consumed at its peak. Look for mangoes that are firm, with a little give when squeezed.

From Mexico to Indonesia, mangoes are commonly eaten as raw unadorned snacks, although some people add salt and/or chile powder. Use mangoes to make chutneys and ice cream, as well as smoothies like this refreshing mango lassi . For recipes using mango, click here › Prickly Pear Characteristics: This small, lightbulb-shaped fruit actually sits on top of the stem—the nopals—of the prickly pear cactus, a plant native to Central and South America. Depending on the variety, a ripe prickly pear will take on the color of the flower, but here in the United States, a ripe prickly pear has a red skin. Also depending on the variety, the flavor can evoke watermelon, citrus, or strawberry. Because it is a fruit of the cactus, be careful handling it, since not all the spines may have been removed. Prickly pears can be peeled and eaten raw but can also be used to make liqueur, syrup, jellies, preserves, and candy. You can also try drinking its juice as a preventative measure against hangovers.

Pictured, left to right: Unripe, ripe Alternate names: Cooking banana, plátano, Adam's fig, macho banana Characteristics: It looks like a banana, but a plantain doesn't taste like one. Harder and starchier than their cousins, plantains are almost always cooked. Unripe plantains have a green or light yellow skin; fully ripened, the skin is black. At that stage, the plantain is at its sweetest. All throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America, plantains are especially enjoyed fried. Use unripe plantains to make tostones and tajadas, the former having been twice-fried. Fry ripe plantains to make plátanos maduros . Guava Alternate names: Guayaba, goyave, guyava, feijoa Characteristics: Native to Latin America and the Caribbean, this fist-sized fruit can be found across the world from Hawaii to Egypt to Pakistan. Pictured here is white guava, although some other varieties of guava will have a bright pink interior and a dark green skin. This fruit is usually eaten raw; cut it in half and scoop out the flesh. Guava is also used to make concentrate and jelly.

Latin American bakeries often sell guava cheese pastries, and in India, the fruit is used to create a cheese dish called guava halwa. Add some guava nectar for a twist on the traditional Margarita . Mamey Sapote Alternate names: Mamey colorado Characteristics: The dark brown exterior and shape of this fruit make it look like a giant almond, but inside, there's a fragrant, rosy pink-orange flesh, which gets creamy, smooth, and sweet, like sweet potatoes, when ripe. Unlike many other fruits and vegetables that find suitable growing environments throughout the world, mamey remains in the New World, grown throughout South America, the Caribbean, and in Florida. Although mamey is typically eaten raw, its culinary applications are expanding; it's used to flavor ice creams, shakes, and desserts such as flan and mousse. Final note: It's pronounced "mah-MAY sa-PO-tay." Tamarind Alternate names: Tamarindo, tamarin, sampalok Characteristics: This fruit originated in tropical Africa but has long been associated with Indian, Latin American, and Southeast Asian cooking.

The brown leathery pod encases a soft, sticky pulp that tastes simultaneously sweet and sour. It is sold as a concentrate in paste or brick form, or as a dried pod (as shown here), purée, or even syrup. Popular uses for tamarind include sauces (Indian tamarind sauce ), drinks (Mexican Agua de Tamarindo), and candies (Filipino sampalok). Chayote Squash Alternate names: Cho-cho, christophene, mango squash, mirliton, pear squash, vegetable pear, choko, pepinella, pepinello, xuxu, xoxo Characteristics: Pronounced "chai-YO-teh," this lime-green gourd vegetable looks like a tight fist and is about as big as an apple. Although the flavor is nondescript (a cross between a potato and a cucumber), its taste is quite versatile. Look for chayotes that are firm and without wrinkles or blemishes. Treat the vegetable like a squash: Eat it raw in salads or cook it however you'd like. In southern Louisiana, chayotes are called mirlitons and are usually served stuffed with a seasoned beef mixture.

Boniato Alternate names: Tropical sweet potato, Cuban sweet potato, white sweet potato, batiste, batata, batata dulce, camote Characteristics: A variety of sweet potato, boniato is native to the Caribbean. Underneath the misshapen, bumpy, red-brown skin is a white flesh that when cooked reveals a light, sweet, nutty flavor and a fluffy texture. Because oxidation will discolor the exposed flesh, try to cook it right away; otherwise, submerge the pieces in cold water until you're ready to cook them. Although mashed boniato is probably the most popular way of serving the vegetable, you can also prepare it as you would any other tuber: boiled, fried, sautéed, or boiled.

For recipes using sweet potatoes, click here › Jícama Alternate names: Yam bean, Mexican yam bean, ahipa, saa got, Chinese potato, Mexican potato, Chinese turnip, Mexican turnip Characteristics: Pronounced "HEEK-ah-mah," this tuber may not be much to look at with its big, round, squat shape, but underneath the rough brown skin is a flesh that is very crunchy and juicy with a subtle nutty and sweet flavor. Cooked, this vegetable adds texture and readily takes on other flavors, but enjoy jícama raw, too. Just peel and then slice before serving. In Mexico, wedges are sprinkled with lime juice and chile powder. In Vietnam, julienned jícama is sometimes used in spring rolls. Papaya Alternate names: Fruta bomba, lechosa, tree melon, pawpaw Characteristics: You can find this fruit growing in tropical climates throughout the world. The two varieties most typically found in North American markets are the Mexican and the Strawberry (pictured). The Mexican (Maradol) variety is much larger, but both share the peach-colored flesh and centralized mass of edible seeds.

Papaya tastes like melon although not quite as sweet, with a bit of earthiness to it. Choose papayas that are underripe so they can ripen at home. Check for ripeness by looking at the color of the skin (if it's yellow, it's ripe) as well as testing the firmness (ripe fruit should give just a little, like an avocado). In Thailand, green papayas (another variety) are used to make som tam, also known as green papaya salad . Enjoy papayas raw, like a melon, or as preserves. Because the fruit's enzymes break down muscle and other connective tissues, papaya is sometimes used to tenderize meats, but proceed with caution, since the enzymes can work too well resulting in mealy-textured meat. Nopal Alternate names: Nopale, prickly pear cactus pad, prickly pear cactus leaf Characteristics: The flat, balloon-shaped, palm-sized stem of the prickly pear cactus is usually treated like a vegetable whereas the prickly pear itself is prepared like a fruit. Nopals are often cut in strips (nopalitos) and cooked, resulting in something that looks and tastes like green beans.

And because of there shape and size, nopals are prime candidates for grilling. Look for pads that are a vibrant green and firm. The spines are typically already removed by the time they reach the market, but handle with care just in case. For recipes using nopals, click here › Tomatillo Alternate names: Ground tomato, husk tomato, jamberry, Mexican green tomato, Spanish tomato, tomate verde, Chinese lantern plants, fresadilla, miltomate, tomates de cascara Characteristics: At the market you'll find these small tomato-like vegetables usually still covered with paper-thin husks. Ripe tomatillos turn yellow but they are usually prepared while still bright green because chefs prefer the not-quite-ripe tangy flavor. The dish that tomatillos are most used for is probably salsa . Try also serving raw slices in a salad, or purée them (either before or after boiling or sautéing them) to create sauces .

Cherimoya Alternate names: Custard apple, sherbet fruit, chirimolla, sugar apple, sweetsop Characteristics: This South American fruit is shaped like an artichoke and has a textured skin that's reminiscent of the vegetable, too, but what makes the cherimoya so prized is its creamy white flesh: It tastes like a blend of other tropical fruits such as pineapple and banana, with a hint of strawberry. Most people eat the fruit raw by cutting it in half and then scooping out the flesh. In the marketplace, cherimoyas are underripe with their firm, green skin. When the skin has turned brown, as shown, the flesh is ready to be eaten. Yuca Root Alternate names: Cassava, manioc, mandioca, tapioca root, Brazilian arrowroot Characteristics: This root vegetable looks like a cross between a carrot and a sweet potato. With a high starch content, raw yuca is harder than a regular white potato. Look for an even-toned, unblemished brown skin, which is usually covered in a thin layer of wax, since yuca root is prone to molding.

There are two types of yuca root, bitter and sweet, the difference being the amount of a natural toxin that is found in the plant. The sweet variety is what you'll find in the marketplace. Regardless of the variety, the toxins require that yuca root be cooked before eating. Yuca root has a number of culinary uses: In southeast Asia, it is grated for cassava bibingka, a Filipino custard cake, as well as in bubble teas; in Africa, the root's usually mashed into a porridge called fufu; in South America, yuca is cooked like a potato and used as a starch thickener (yuca flour); and in the United States, yuca most often comes in the form of tapioca pudding . Untitled Page 3801 W. Temple Ave.

Bldg 35 Pomona, CA Main Event Date: 8/14/2010 Celebrating The Year Of the Pitahaya .festivaloffruit.org/ CRFG News: 2010 Festival of Fruit - Year of the Pitahaya/Dragon Fruit The 2010 Festival of Fruit, hosted by the Los Angeles Chapter, will held the week of August 14, 2010 at Cal Poly Pomona Go to festivaloffruit.org for more details. What are Chirimoyas or Cherimoyas? Chirimoyas, called “cherimoyas” or Custard Apples in English are a delicious tropical fruit, native to South America (Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador). Cherimoyas grow on trees and are large (about 4-8 inches long and about 4 inches wide) green, heart-shaped fruit, with bumps on the outside. The inside however is a different story. It is white, juicy and fleshy, with a soft custard-like texture and large seeds that look like beans. It is creamy and tastes like a combination of banana, pineapple and strawberry. The skin and seeds shouldn’t be eaten.

Cherimoyas are like avocados in that they will ripen at room temperature right on your kitchen counter. If ripe, they will give to slight pressure. If you purchase a ripe cherimoya and won’t eat it immediately, it is best to refrigerate it. The cherimoya (Annona cherimola) is a species of Annona native to the Andean-highland valleys of Chile, Ecuador and Peru. It is a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub or small tree reaching 7 m tall. The leaves are alternate, simple, oblong-lanceolate, 7–15 cm long and 6–10 cm broad. The flowers are produced in small clusters, each flower 2–3 cm across, with six petals, yellow-brown, often spotted purple at the base. The fruit is oval, often slightly oblique, 10–20 cm long and 7–10 cm diameter, with a smooth or slightly tuberculated skin. The fruit flesh is white, and has numerous seeds embedded in it.

Mark Twain called the cherimoya "the most delicious fruit known to men." The Moche culture of Peru had a fascination with agriculture and represented fruits and vegetables in their art. Cherimoyas were often depicted in their ceramics. * 2 Cultivation and uses * 8 External links Etymology The name originates from the Quechua word chirimuya, which means "cold seeds," because the plant grows at high altitudes and the seeds will germinate at higher altitudes. Cultivation and uses The tree thrives throughout the tropics at altitudes of 1,300 to 2,600 m (4,300 to 8,500 ft). Though sensitive to frost, it must have periods of cool temperatures or the tree will gradually go dormant. The indigenous inhabitants of the Andes say that although the cherimoya cannot stand snow, it does like to see it in the distance. It is cultivated in many places throughout the Americas, including California, where it was introduced in 1871, and Hawaii. In the Mediterranean region, it is cultivated mainly in southern Spain, Madeira, Lebanon, Egypt and Israel.

The first planting in Italy was in 1797 and it became a favored crop in the Province of Reggio Calabria. It is also grown in Taiwan and New Zealand. Cherimoya seeds The fruit is fleshy and soft, sweet, white in color, with a sherbet-like texture, which gives it its secondary name, custard apple. Some characterize the flavor as a blend of banana, pineapple, papaya and strawberry. Others describe it as tasting like commercial bubblegum. Similar in size to a grapefruit, it has large, glossy, dark seeds that are easily removed. The seeds are poisonous if crushed open and can be used as an insecticide. An extractive of the bark can induce paralysis if injected. When ripe the skin is green and gives slightly to pressure, similar to the avocado. When shopping, one should look for large fruit which are uniformly green. Avoid fruits with cracks or mostly browned skin. Ripe fruit may be kept in the refrigerator, but it is best to let immature cherimoyas ripen at room temperature, until it yields to gentle pressure. Different varieties have different characteristics of flavor, texture, and fruit shape contours.

Contours can range from imprint areoles, flat areoles, slight bump or point areoles, full areoles - and combinations of the above. The flavor of the flesh ranges from mellow sweet to tangy/acidic sweet, with variable suggestions of pineapple, banana, pear, papaya, strawberry/'berry', and/or apple, depending on the variety. The usual characterization of flavor is 'pineapple/banana' flavor, similar to the flavor of the Monstera deliciosa fruit. When the fruit is soft-ripe/fresh-ripe and still has the 'fresh' fully mature greenish/greenish-yellowish skin color, the texture is like that of a soft-ripe pear and papaya. If the skin is allowed to turn fully brown, yet the flesh hasn't fermented or gone 'bad', then the texture can be custard-like. Often when the skin turns brown at room temperature the fruit is no longer good for human consumption. Also, the skin turns brown if it's been under normal refrigeration for 'too long' - a day or two maybe.

Fresh cherimoya contains about 15% sugar (about 60kcal/100g) and some vitamin C (up to 20 mg/100g). Cherimoya and members of the Annonaceae family also contain small amounts of neurotoxic alkaloids such as annonacin which appear to be linked to atypical parkinsonism in Guadeloupe. The flowers are hermaphroditic, but have a mechanism to avoid self pollination. The short-lived flowers open as female, then progress to a later, male stage in a matter of hours. This requires a separate pollinator that not only can collect the pollen from flowers in the male stage, but also deposit it in flowers in the female stage. It is acknowledged that there must be such a natural pollinator, and while so far studies of insects in the cherimoya's native region have been inconclusive, some form of beetle is suspected (Schroeder 1995). Quite often, the female flower is receptive in the early part of the first day, but pollen is not produced in the male stage until the late afternoon of the second day.

Honey bees are not good pollinators, for example, because their bodies are too large to fit between the fleshy petals of the female flower. Female flowers have the petals only partially separated, and the petals separate wide when they become male flowers. So the bees pick up pollen from the male flowers, but are unable to transfer this pollen to the female flowers. The small beetles which pollinate cherimoya in its land of origin are much smaller than bees. For fruit production outside the cherimoya's native region, cultivators must either rely upon the wind to spread pollen in dense orchards or else pollinate flowers by hand. Complicating matters is the notoriously short lifespan of cherimoya pollen. Think Passion fruit. Chirimoya is a rough-skinned fruit much like a passion fruit. You can peel the fruit and eat it raw much like you would any other fruit. # Step 2 Have dessert. Chirimoya has the consistency of a custard apple and can be used as a substitute for custard apple recipes. Think tarts, pies or crumbles for a sweet treat. # Step 3 Use it in a savory dish.

Apples have been notoriously paired with pork chops for decades, but they are also a great addition to any chicken dish. Add chopped apples to brown rice, cous cous or pilaf for a crunchy sweetness. # Step 4 Make applesauce. Applesauce is not only a great healthy breakfast or snack, it is great for baby food and baked goods. Using applesauce in breads and cookies gives them a level of moistness no other ingredient can provide. Cherimoya or Chirimoya | Project Noah Cherimoya or Chirimoya Tweet Description: The cherimoya, also spelled chirimoya, is the fruit of the species Annona cherimola, which generally is thought to be native to the Andes[1] [2], although an alternative hypothesis proposes Central America as the origin of cherimoya because many of its crop wild relatives occur in this area. Today cherimoya is grown throughout South Asia, South and Central America, and Southern California. Cherimoya is a deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub or small tree reaching 7 m (22 feet) tall.

The leaves are alternate, simple, oblong-lanceolate, 7–15 cm long and 6–10 cm broad. The flowers are produced in small clusters, each flower 2–3 cm across, with six petals, yellow-brown, often spotted purple at the base. The fruit is oval, often slightly oblate, 10–20 cm long and 7–10 cm diameter, with a smooth or slightly tuberculated skin. The fruit flesh is white and creamy, and has numerous dark brown seeds embedded in it. Mark Twain called the cherimoya "the most delicious fruit known to men."[3] The fruit is fleshy and soft, sweet, white in color, with a sherbet-like texture, which gives it its secondary name, custard apple. Some characterize the flavor as a blend of banana, pineapple, papaya, peach, and strawberry. Others describe it as tasting like commercial bubblegum. Similar in size to a grapefruit, it has large, glossy, dark seeds that are easily removed. When ripe, the skin is green and gives slightly to pressure, similar to the avocado.

Habitat: Yucatan Exotic Fruits and Vegetables Central Market Exotic Fruits and Vegetables The Yucatan Peninsula was blessed with an abundance of fresh exotic fruits and vegetables, of which you can find an enormous variety in mercados and supermarkets. The tropical fruits galore that I have enjoyed throughout my life in my hometown is what I miss the most when I am away from Yucatan. As a kid my grandmother and I would go downtown to Central Market every Sunday morning at 6 AM sharp, where she would buy all the herbs, fruits and vegetables, that we would eat during the week. I loved to go with her, because I got to have breakfast at the mercado (market), salbutes and panuchos.....mmmm... and of course a tall glass of freshly squeezed orange juice or a cold horchata (drink made of rice). Exotic Fruits and Vegetables Galore in Merida's Largest Market What other people might consider as exotic fruits and vegetables (you will find pictures and a short explanation of each fruit below) was an everyday event for me.

My grandmother would buy these in bulk, because it wasn't only my grandparents and I in the house, we had hired help that also lived in the house or came for the day. Tortillas at the Mercado Spices and Spice Blends For some reason a lot of people visited my grandparents during the week.... while they were visiting, my grandmother would prepare a huge plate of exotic fruits or ice cream made from these fruits to savor as they talked about the latest gossip….. now that I think of it, I guess I do know the reason why they came to visit....... A Few of Yucatan's Exotic Fruits and Vegetables My grandmother would get whatever was in season, mangoes some ripe and some green which we would eat with salt and powdered red chili, papaya and pineapple, for breakfast, as well as guanabana (guah-NAH-bah-nah), saramuyo (sah-rah-MOO-yoh) and caimito (kah-ee-MEE-toh). Saramuyo / Sugar Apple Saramuyo is known in English as sugar apple or sweetsop, you can find it at the local markets or supermarkets in Yucatan.

It has green scaly skin, with soft sweet white pulp. You can mash it and mix it with cold water or milk for a delicious drink, you can make ice cream with it, or just cut it, spoon it out and eat it. It has big black seeds. Caimito I remember there was a c Kaimito (star apple) tree near my house and my friends and I would climb to the top to get them down, delicious just off the tree, you had to squeeze it and squeeze it until it would burst at the top, and a milky juice came out, then you would suck the pulp out, but it would leave your mouth kind of sticky though. It has round, purple-skin with a star pattern in the pulp. Guanabana / Soursop Guanabana also called soursop, has a kind of thick green skin covered with soft spines. Its flesh is creamy and white and can be eaten raw after a delicious Mayan lunch. It makes a delicious ice cream. It can also be mixed with water or milk for an awesome drink. Different season, different fruits.

Pitahaya (pee-TAH-yah), annona (ah-NOH-nah), grosella (groh- SEH-yah), chicozapote (chee-coh-za-POH-teh), black sapote (sah-poh-teh) and tamarind which we would peel, mash and make little balls with, adding salt and powdered chili, we also made some with sugar. I salivate every time I think of this, even though I always ate too much and got a stomach ache. Pitahaya / Dragon Fruit Among the exotic fruits and vegetables we have the Pitahaya also called Dragon Fruit. It is a bright pink cactus fruit with a mild sweet taste which is low in calories. Its full of very tiny harmless seeds. When mixed with cold water ice and some lime juice it makes a delicious drink. It's great in a fruit salad. This exotic fruit is native to Central America but it is very popular in Asia (China) today . Anona / Custard Apple Anona also called Cherimoya / Chirimoya / Custard Apple, has a green smooth or slightly scaly skin, the flesh is white, sweet and creamy with many dark brown seeds.

Some people describe its flavor as a combination of banana, pineapple, papaya, peach and strawberry. You can chill it and eat it with a spoon. Mark Twain called the Anona “the most delicious fruit known to men”. Chicozapote Chicozapote is a native exotic fruit of Yucatan, it has light brown velvety skin, brownish creamy pulp, with a very aromatic, sweet, delicate flavor. Black Sapote / Chocolate Fruit Black Sapote / Chocolate Fruit, the Mayan word is Tauch / tah - OOCH. Native to Yucatan and Central America. Ripe fruits resemble a large green tomato, they have shiny, smooth green skin, and a very tasty, chocolate dark pulp. I remember my grandmother would mash it and squeezed orange juice to the pulp adding some sugar which would make it tastier. Grosella /Gooseberry Grosellas / Gooseberries from Yucatan, are tart yellow berries too sour to eat raw, they are usually cooked in a sweet syrup. This is one of my favorite exotic fruit desserts. Tamarind Tamarind, originally from Africa, is an exotic fruit that was brought to Yucatan during colonial times.

Tamarind trees bear great amounts of fruit from April to July. It has a delicious sweet, tart, aromatic flavor. It is eaten raw when ripe, with powdered chili and salt or in lieu of this with sugar. Tamarind Pods Tamarind Tree She would also buy mamey (mah-MAY), marañon (mah-rah NOHN), and huayas (UAH-yahs). One of our neighbors had a very tall huaya tree in his back yard, we would jump the wall dividing our yards and climb his huge tree to get them, up to this day I don’t know how on earth we did that, we were lucky we never fell and broke a bone or something worse. Among all the exotic fruits and vegetables available I think huayas were my favorite, maybe because of the thrill of sneaking into somebody's yard, climbing the tree and getting them. Mamey Mamey is an oval shaped exotic fruit, that looks like a small football. It has thick, sand paper like brown skin and aromatic flesh which has an orange reddish color. You can eat it raw with a spoon, add it to fruit salads or make it into a fruit drink or ice cream.

My favorite dessert is Mamey Mousse, all you have to do is blend it with sweet condensed milk, add a little heavy cream and chill. It's a quick tasty dessert. The taste is similar to sweet potato pie with a dash of almond. Huayas Huayas, are related to the lychee, they have a thin stiff layer of skin, that you peel by cracking it with your teeth. Inside the skin you will find the light orange, sour sweet pulp of the fruit, which you suck by putting the whole fruit inside your mouth, being careful not to swallow the pit. Marañon Marañon (cashew fruit) is an exotic fruit that is not as popular in the state of Yucatan as it is in the state of Campeche, it makes a delicious drink with water and lemon juice.

Other exotic fruits and vegetables are Nance, pronounced (nahn – seh) in Yucatan, sour orange / naranja agria, Yucatan limas (do not confuse with limes as we know them in the United States, they are not the same), limones / limes, guayaba / guava, aguacate / avocados, Yucatan avocados are huge. Nance Nance / Nanche is a small, yellow cherry-like fruit with a sweet and sour taste. The fruits are eaten raw but are most commonly eaten cooked in a sweet syrup as dessert, (Dulce de Nance) and it also makes a delicious ice cream flavor. Naranja Agria / Sour Orange Sour Orange is used in lieu of vinegar in Yucatan, it is used in numerous recipes, especially the ones that use Achiote Paste / Recado Colorado. If it is not available where you live, you can use a blend of 50% vinegar and 50% regular freshly squeezed orange juice. it is not advisable to use store bought orange juice, you will not get the sour orange taste.

Limas Lima is not to be confused with LIME as we know it in the United States, it is not the same. The limes we know are called limones / lemons in Mexico, yellow lemons do not exist in Mexico. The lima that is known in Yucatan, is a variety of lime called Citrus Limetta, it grows on trees everywhere, just as we wish money would, and it is used in many Mayan Yucatecan dishes, it is the secret ingredient for the traditional recipe of lima soup / sopa de lima. This recipe has become one of the representative dishes of Yucatecan Cuisine. Mexican Limes Yucatan Avocados Avocados in Yucatan - The Maya and other civilizations have grown avocados since Pre-Hispanic times. The avocados in Yucatan are about 8 to 10 inches in length, with delicate aroma and great flavor. They are different from the small hass avocados known in the United States, Avocados from Yucatan are a little more watery, the skin is smoother and they are sweeter, best used in salads and go very well with most Yucatecan dishes.

I personally wouldn't recommend it for guacamole, I would use the small hass avocado for that. By the way an avocado is a fruit not a vegetable. Guava Guavas are very aromatic and sweet, they can be eaten raw or cooked in sweet syrup, it also makes a delicious drink. They are a bright yellow when ripe. I was forgetting Carambola also called Starfruit. There are many more exotic fruits and vegetables in the Yucatan area, but I don't have room to list them all for now. Carambola/Starfruit Carambola / StarFruit, is a sweet and sour tropical exotic fruit in the shape of a star, native to the Malayan Peninsula is also grown in Yucatan Mexico. It has a light green, yellowish, smooth and waxy skin. The pulp is crispy, juicy and it can be sweet or sour. It's a low calory fruit with a good amount of fiber. Tropical exotic fruits and vegetables should ripen at room temperature, if not eaten immediately, they should be stored in the refrigerator to keep them from going bad too soon.

If you are planning on visiting Yucatan Mexico in the near future, don't miss out on a chance to visit a local market, and taste some of these delicious exotic fruits and vegetables. If you are interested in Exotic Fruits and Vegetables , you might like Mayan Food Mayan Food

Question: The creamy cherimoya/chirimoya fruit with a soft cactus-like skin is also known as the '(what?) apple'?
Answer: Custard