Tag Archives: Fruit

Banana Passionfruit

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Banana Passionfruit

Banana passionfruit is the perfect fruit for a passionate fan.

  • Banana passionfruit are a variety of tropical fruit native to South America.
  • ‘Banana passionfruit’ is also called ‘curuba’, ‘tasco’, ‘tumbo’, ‘bananadilla’ and ‘banana pōka’.
  • There are two species of banana passionfruit, both very similar in appearance, and they have the scientific name Passiflora tarminiana and Passiflora tripartita var. mollissima, and they are from the family Passifloraceae, the family of passionfruit and other flowering plants.
  • Banana passionfruit are of a rounded cylindrical or somewhat ovoid shape, and are 5 to 14 centimetres (2 to 5.5 inches) in length.
  • Banana passionfruit has a light or whitish yellow to orange skin colour when ripe, and is a green colour when unripe, while the flesh is a translucent orange that surrounds numerous black edible seeds.
Banana Passionfruit, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Orange, Pulp, Green, Cut, Fruit, Culinary, Food
Banana Passionfruit
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
  • The vines of banana passionfruit typically produce 150 to 300 individuals fruits a year.
  • Banana passionfruit can be eaten fresh or added to desserts such as ice cream and fruit salads; or used as a flavouring, especially in beverages; much like other species of passionfruit.
  • In countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii, banana passionfruit is considered an invasive species, as it grows prolifically and chokes out native plant species.
  • The flavour of banana passionfruit is typically sweet and tart, comparable to other passionfruit; and the fruit is high in vitamin C and fibre.
  • The vine of banana fruits can reach a length of roughly 6 to 7 metres (20 to 23 feet), and they often use tall trees as a support.
Bibliography:
Banana Passion Fruit, 2013, Trade Winds Fruit, http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/content/banana-passion-fruit.htm
Banana Passionfruit, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_passionfruit
Banana Passionfruit, 2016, Specialty Produce, http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Banana_Passionfruit_9144.php
Banana Passionfruit, n.d, Purdue University, https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/banana_passion_fruit.html
Passiflora tarminiana, 2016, Queensland Government, http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/media/Html/passiflora_tarminiana.htm

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Mamey Sapote

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Mamey Sapote

Mamey sapote is an exotic name for an exotic fruit.

  • Mamey sapote is a variety of tropical fruit, native to parts of Central America, and Mexico in North America.
  • ‘Mamey sapote’ is also known as ‘marmalade plum’, ‘mamee sapote’, ‘marmalade fruit’, ‘zapotillo’, ‘zapote’, ‘sapote’, and ‘mammee apple’, among other names.
  • The scientific name of the mamey sapote tree is Pouteria sapota and it is from the family Sapotaceae, a family of flowering trees and shrubs.
  • Mamey sapote can be ovoid or almost spherical in shape, and the fruit is usually between 7.5 and 23 centimetres (3 to 9 inches) long.
  • The skin of Mamey sapote fruit is generally somewhat rough to touch and brown in colour, while the flesh is soft when ripe, and pink, orange or red in colour.
Mamey Sapote, Ten Random Facts, Trivia, Orange, Fruit, Culinary, Cut
Mamey Sapote
Image courtesy of I Like Plants/Flickr
  • The taste of mamey sapote is reminiscent of sweet potatoes, peaches, pumpkins and apricots.
  • Mamey sapote can be eaten fresh or frozen, used to flavour dairy-based products such as ice-cream or milkshakes, and can be made into jams and preserves.
  • A single mamey sapote fruit can weigh from 0.4 to 2.3 kilograms (0.9 to 5 pounds) in weight.
  • Despite its large size, mamey sapote is botanically considered a berry, and the fruit usually contains one large brown seed, though some varieties may have up to four.
  • Mamey sapote fruit are high in vitamin B6 and vitamin C, and contain many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Carle A, Cultivation of Mamey Sapote and Green Sapote, 1989, The Acrhives of The Rare Fruit Council of Australia, http://rfcarchives.org.au/Next/Fruits/MameySapote/MameyGreenSapote1-89.htm
 Mamey Sapote, n.d, Australian Tropical Foods, http://www.australiantropicalfoods.com/index.php/exotic-fruits/mamey-sapote/
Pouteria sapota, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pouteria_sapota
Sapote, 2016, Purdue University, https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/sapote_ars.html

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Santol

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Santol

Will you brave the exoticness of the santol?

  • Santols are a species of exotic fruit native to Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaya, of Southeast Asia.
  • The scientific name of the santol tree is Sandoricum koetjape and it is from the family Meliaceae, the family of mahogany.
  • ‘Santols’ are also called ‘lolly fruits’, ‘cottonfruits’, and ‘ wild mangosteens’, and they are also known under a variety of local names.
  • Santols generally have a peachy orange coloured skin, that has a somewhat furry texture, sometimes with a slight red or yellow appearance, with flesh that is typically coloured white, while the rind surrounding the flesh is usually an orange colour.
  • The rind of santols can be thick or thin, depending on the variety, and the fruit has a fleshy, juicy centre that surrounds the seeds; and both the pulp and the rind are usually edible.
Santols, Fruit, Orange, Vegetation, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Stalk, Whole, Unpeeled
Santols
Image courtesy of whologwhy/Flickr
  • Santols can have a sour or sweet taste, often depending on whether it is the red leaf variety or the yellow leaf variety, with the red leaf generally having a sour taste and a thicker rind, while the yellow leaf will typically have a sweet flavour and a thinner rind.
  • Santols can be eaten raw, preserved, made into a jam, candied, spiced, cooked in curries or alongside meat, or used to make a beverage.
  • The relatively large brown seeds of santols are not edible, and they should be avoided as they can get stuck in or even puncture the intestines.
  • Santol fruit range from 4 to 7.5 centimetres (1.6 to 3 inches) in diameter, and a single tree is said to be able to bear thousands of individual fruit in a single year.
  • Santols contain pectin, and are a good source of phosphorus and calcium, and they contain other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Morton J, Santol, 1987, Purdue Agriculture, https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/santol.html
Santol, 2016, Fruits Info, http://www.fruitsinfo.com/Santol-Exotic-fruits.php
Snadoricum koetjape, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandoricum_koetjape

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Cape Gooseberry

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Cape Gooseberry

The Cape gooseberry is not a gooseberry, nor is it from the Cape district in South Africa!

  • A Cape gooseberry is a species of tomato-like fruit, that originated in South American countries including Brazil, Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Columbia.
  • ‘Cape gooseberries’ are also known as ‘Physalis’, ‘giant groundcherries’, ‘golden berries’, ‘Aztec berries’, ‘African ground cherries’, ‘Peruvian groundcherries’, ‘husk cherries’, ‘Inca berries’, ‘Peruvian tomatoes’, ‘Peruvian cherries’, ‘poha berries’, and many other names.
  • The plant that the cape gooseberry grows on has the scientific name Physalis peruviana, from the family Solanaceae, the family of nightshades; and it is similar to other edible fruits that grow in a similar form in the Physalis genus, like the tomatillo, husk tomato and other groundcherries.
  • The Cape gooseberry fruit is contained inside a dry, leaf-like receptacle known as a ‘husk’, that is something comparable to a lantern in shape.
  • Cape gooseberries typically have smooth, glossy skin that is orange or yellow when ripe, with juicy flesh the same colour; and they are green when unripe.
Cape Gooseberry, Fruit, Culinary, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Food, Lantern, Goldenberry
Cape Gooseberry
Image courtesy of Pen Waggener/Flickr
  • The Cape gooseberry can be eaten fresh, dried or cooked, often in Mexican cuisine; made into jams, pies or other desserts; and added to salads.
  • Cape gooseberries have a sweet to tangy taste with a fruity flavour, and a sweetness that is greater than tomatoes; though they should not be eaten when unripe, as they tend to be poisonous.
  • The shape of a Cape gooseberry is spherical, and the fruit generally ranges from 1 to 3 centimetres (0.4 to 1.2 inches) in diameter, and the pulp contains many small edible seeds.
  • Cape gooseberries are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A and niacin, and they contain a number of other vitamins and minerals.
  • Cape gooseberries generally fall to the ground before they are ripe, and they can be stored for many months in their husk.
Bibliography:
Cape Gooseberry, 1997, California Rare Fruit Growers, https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/cape-gooseberry.html
McLeod C, Cape Gooseberry – Physalis, 2014, Garden Drum, http://gardendrum.com/2014/05/29/cape-gooseberry-physalis/
Physalis, 2016, University of Minnesota Extension, http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/vegetables/physalis/
Physalis peruviana, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_peruviana

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Cloudberry

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Cloudberry

Don’t drift into another world while eating a delicious cloudberry!

  • Cloudberries are a variety of fruit originating in the northern areas of North America, Europe and Russia, and they are found in cold, boggy, mountainous regions.
  • ‘Cloudberries’ are also known as ‘knotberries’, ‘low-bush salmonberries’, ‘evrons’, ‘averins’, and ‘bakeapples’.
  • The cloudberry grows on a plant with the scientific name Rubus chamaemorus, and it is from the family Rosaceae, the family of roses.
  • Cloudberries are made up of small bubbly drupelets, numbering from 5 to 25, and they are not unlike a raspberry in appearance and size, with a diameter of 1 to 2 centimetres (0.4 to 0.8 inches).
  • When ripe, the colour of a cloudberry is typically an orange to yellow colour, sometimes with a tinge of red, while the unripe fruit is red in colour.
Cloudberry, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Orange, Fruit, Culinary, Vegetation, Exotic
A Cloudberry
Image courtesy of kahvikisu/Flickr
  • The cloudberry is generally considered a wild berry, as it is not commonly farmed because of its unique growing conditions, although in recent years, cultivation of the berry for commercial purposes has increased.
  • The texture of a cloudberry is juicy and perhaps creamy, and it has a tart to sweet taste depending on its ripeness.
  • Cloudberries are sometimes eaten fresh, with cream, ice-cream or other dairy-based desserts, but they are more commonly made into jam, fruit tarts or pies, and liqueur, and they are often purchased frozen as they do not store well.
  • Finnish, Norwegian, Scottish, Alaskan and Canadian communities commonly utilise cloudberries in their cuisine, and they are considered a luxury in some areas.
  • Cloudberries are extremely high in vitamin C, are a good source of antioxidants, and they also contain other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Cloudberries, 2014, Swedish Food, http://www.swedishfood.com/cloudberries
Gorman R, Cloudberry, 2009, Native Plants of Alaska, https://www.uaf.edu/files/ces/publications-db/catalog/anr/HGA-00232E.pdf
Rubus chamaemorus, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubus_chamaemorus
Rubus chamaemorus L., 2016, Northern Ontario Plant Database, http://www.northernontarioflora.ca/description.cfm?speciesid=1004433

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Loquat

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Loquat

Loquats are another of those great sweet and tangy combinations.

  • Loquats are a variety of fruit that likely originated in China, and they were probably brought into Japan where they became very abundant and have long been cultivated.
  • ‘Loquats’ are also known as ‘Japanese plums’, ‘Chinese plums’ and Japanese Medlar.
  • The tree that loquats grow on has the scientific name Eriobotrya japonica, and it is from the family Rosaceae, the family of roses.
  • Loquats are roughly spherical, ovoid or pear-like in shape, and they typically range between 2.5 to 5 centimetres (1 to 2 inches) in length.
  • The edible skin of loquats is generally an orange or yellow colour, occasionally with a red tinge, while the flesh is usually coloured orange, yellow or white.
Loquat, Fruit, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Culinary, Food, Vegetation, Orange, Yellow, Growing
Loquat
Image courtesy of Larry Hoffman/Flickr
  • There are more than 800 varieties of loquats, and some are grown in subtropical locations; while the world’s leading producer of the fruit in 2007 was China, producing 83% of the world’s production of 549,220 tonnes (605,411 tons).
  • Loquats usually have a sweet tangy taste, and are said to taste like a combination of fruits, often tropical in flavour.
  • Loquats are commonly eaten fresh, or in a fruit salad or cooked in pies, and they can be made into jams, syrups, jelly, condiments and sweets.
  • Generally loquats have three to five large brown seeds in the centre of the fruit, and while they are not edible, a liqueur can be made from them.
  • Loquats are high in vitamin A and are a good source of fibre, manganese and potassium, and they contain many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Loquat, 2013, Purdue University, https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/loquat.html
Loquat, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loquat
Rawlinson L, Loquats: Here’s What You Do With Them, 2015, Full and Content, http://www.fullandcontent.com/loquats-here-s-what-you-do-with-them.html

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