Tag Archives: Fruit

Are you’re eating someone’s hand when you’re eating Buddha’s hand?

• Buddha’s hands are a variety of citrus fruit notable for growing numerous finger-like ‘tentacles’.
• ‘Buddha’s hands’ are also known as ‘fingered citrons’, ‘fragrant citrons’, ‘five fingered mandarins’, and ‘goblin fingers’.
• The Buddha’s hand fruit grows on trees with the scientific name Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis, a variety of citron, and it comes from the family Rutaceae, the family of citrus.
• When ripe, the finger-like appendages of Buddha’s hands generally spread outward to take the appearance of an open hand.
• The colour of ripe Buddha’s hands range from bright yellow to orange-gold shades, while unripe fruit is usually coloured green.

Buddha’s Hand
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

• Buddha’s hands grow on a plant thought to be native to parts of India and possibly China, both in Asia.
• Buddha’s hands contain next to no juice and have little pulp, with many specimens containing no seeds either, and this results in a fruit which is virtually all pith and rind.
• A pleasant aroma is released from Buddha’s hands, and as such, the fruit can be used as a perfume or to freshen air in buildings.
• Buddha’s hands reach a length of 15 to 30 centimetres (6 to 12 inches), and the rind and the pith of the fruit do not usually have the bitterness typical with other citrus fruits.
• Buddha’s hands are often candied and made into jams, while pieces of the fruit can be added to both savoury and sweet dishes, and the zest can be used to flavour alcoholic beverages, baked goods, marinades, and other food dishes.

Bibliography:
Buddha’s Hand, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddha%27s_hand

Citron ‘Buddhas Hand’ – Citrus Medica var. Sarcodactylis, 2016, van Veen Organics, http://vanveenorganics.com/product/citron-buddhas-hand/

Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis, n.d, Missouri Botanical Garden, http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=e864

Osborne T, Buddha Hand Citron: Growing this Amazing Tree, 2013, Tasty Landscape, http://tastylandscape.com/2013/07/05/buddha-hand-citron-growing-this-amazing-looking-tree/

Starfruit are the literal stars distinguishable from the rest.

• Starfruit is a variety of fruit considered exotic in some areas, that likely originated in Malaysia and Indonesia, and possibly Sri Lanka, India and some other countries of South East Asia.
• ‘Starfruit’ are also known as ‘five-corner fruit’, ‘carambola’, and in Spanish-speaking countries ‘carambolo’.
• Starfruit grow on a tree of medium size, that has the scientific name Averrhoa carambola, and it is from the family Oxalidaceae, the family of wood sorrels.
• Starfruit range from 5 to 15 centimetres (2 to 6 inches) long, and the fruit features five or more large ridges down its length.
• Starfruit has wax-like skin that is edible, and depending on the variety, a somewhat sour to sweet tasting flesh that is juicy and crunchy, that is comparable to a mixture of apple, grape, pear and citrus.

Cut Starfruit
Image courtesy of alamosbasement/Flickr

• If a starfruit is cut across widthways, a star shape is revealed, hence its common name.
• When ripe, starfruit skin typically changes from a green or yellow-green colour, to a yellow colour, with the flesh ranging from cream to yellow.
• Starfruit is often eaten raw, but it can also be stewed, preserved, pickled, juiced, made into relish, or cooked as part of a dish.
• Some caution is required if star fruit is consumed while on certain medications, and the fruit can be dangerous for those with kidney-related health issues.
• Starfruit is very high in vitamin C and is a good source of fibre, and the fruit contains many other vitamins and minerals.

Bibliography:
Carambola, 2015, Better Health Channel, https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ingredientsprofiles/Carambola

Carambola, 2015, Cape Trib, http://www.capetrib.com.au/carambola.htm

Carambola, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carambola

Kumquats are they hidden away relatives of oranges.

• Kumquats are a type of citrus fruit that grown on small trees, that have edible skin and flesh, and they are believed to be native to China.
• ‘Kumquats’ are also known as ‘cumquats’, and the name is taken from the Cantonese word 金橘, pronounced ‘kamkwat’, which literally means ‘gold’ or ‘golden’ and ‘orange’ or ‘tangerine’.
• The official species name of a kumquat tree is Citrus japonica, from the family Rutaceae, the family of citrus, however, they were formerly of the Fortunella genus, and as such, the old scientific names for the fruit are still commonly used.
• Kumquats are typically sturdy fruit, and the plants generally have the ability to withstand fairly hot and cold growing temperatures, unlike many other citrus species.
• The flesh of kumquats is particularly strong and sour, however the skin is usually sweet in comparison, and for this reason, it is common for the flesh and skin, or ‘peel’ as it is often called, to be eaten together.

Kumquat
Image courtesy of Eugene Kim/Flickr

• Kumquats are generally of an ovoid or roughly spherical shape, depending on the variety, and they can have a diameter of around 1.6 to 4 centimetres (0.6 to 1.6 inches).
• There are four main varieties of kumquats, with the nagami variety being the most commonly grown due to its hardiness and productiveness.
• Kumquat skin changes from a green colour, to a bright orange-yellow or orange-gold colour when ripe, with colour varying according to the variety.
• Kumquats can be eaten both fresh and as a marmalade or jam, and they are sometimes dried, pickled, sugared or cooked.
• Kumquats are very high in vitamin C and are a good source of fibre, and they contain many other vitamins and minerals.

Bibliography:
Kumquat, 2016, Purdue Agriculture, https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/kumquat.html

Kumquat, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumquat

What Is A Kumquat, 2014, Kumquat Growers, http://kumquatgrowers.com/what.html

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