Monday, June 24, 2019
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Cape Gooseberry / Inca berry / Golden berry
Considered a super fruit and native to South America these small cherry sized fruit have a sweet tart flavor with a hint of a vegetable like aftertaste, ( they are related to tomatillos and a member of the nightshade family) numerous tiny seeds with a similar crunch to a poppy seed. Purchased at Wholesome Choice in Anaheim Hills Ca. Photo by Chris Mathews.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Finger limes / Caviar limes
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wampee / Clausena lansium
Native to Southern China and parts of Vietnam, I first got the opportunity to try these guys off the tree at the Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead, FL with Ian Maguier; and they were great. Once you peel the papery skin, wampee's are about the size of a grape, with large, hard seeds. The sweet, minimal, juicy flesh tasted like a peach / white peach combo. I found them again in Fullerton, CA and these were a lot more acidic, but similar. Photo by Chris Mathews.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Jambolan / Java plum / Jambul
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Chocolate (fuyu) Persimmons
Thursday, October 6, 2011
prickly pear / cactus pear / tunas
Monday, October 3, 2011
Thomcord Grapes
A "seedless" hybrid of a Concord and a Thompson grape these have a delicious Concord flavor without the weird skin separation and gelatinous seeded flesh typical to the Concord. The aborted seeds in the Thomcord, though slightly larger than the Thompson, added a tolerable crunch. Found at Trader Joe's Irvine, CA. Photo by Chris Mathews.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Canistel / egg fruit
Sometimes referred to as the Maya fruit, the Canistel is said to be native to Campeche, Mexico and other parts of Mesoamerica. It is often used in ice cream, custard style pies, and other dairy-based desserts because the fruit does not cause dairy products to curdle or sour. They have a dry, yet sticky texture reminiscent of a hardboiled egg yolk and a sweet potato, pumpkin flavor. Found at Robert is Here and Fairchild Gardens in Homesead, FL. Photos by Chris Mathews.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sapodilla / Zapote chico
Believed to be native to the Yucatan Peninsula in southern Mexico, these are the fruit of the tree that was used to make the original gum (chicle) made from latex derived from the bark. One of my favorite fruits, these guys taste like root beer and caramel with a slightly grainy texture and are about the size of a Roma Tomato. These are a must try. Found at Robert is Here and Fairchild Farms in Homestead, FL. Photos by Chris Mathews.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Spanish lime / mamoncillo
Native to Central and South America, and the Caribbean, these look quite a bit like a key lime, but once you open them up they are like a lychee that melted and got slimy with a sweet / tart citrus flavored flesh that sticks to the seed in the middle. Once you start sucking on them it seems like some of the slimly flesh gets stuck in your throat. Found at Robert is Here, Homestead, FL. Photos by Chris Mathews.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Sugar-apple
Native to the tropical areas of the Americas, sugar apples are in the cherimoya (Annona) and soursop family. About the size of a baseball these guys have a sweet, soft, juicy, grainy flesh and a slight floral flavor around hard seeds. They are eaten by squeezing the fruit in the center, causing the segmented skin to spread open. Found at an unnamed fruit stand in Homestead, FL. Photo by Chris Mathews.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Muscadine Grapes / Bronze Scuppernong Muscadine
Native to the southeastern United States, Muscadine grapes are also known as American wild grapes. The bronze colored cultivar are referred to as Scuppernong and have a slightly milder flavor than the dark variety. About the size of a large cherry tomato they have a thick skin a few hard seeds and a flavor similar to a concord grape with a hints of musky / resin, and a slightly bitter skin. Found at Publix "greenwise" in Boca Raton Fl. Photo by Chris Mathews
Friday, July 29, 2011
The lesser known flavors of Mexico
Sunday, July 17, 2011
coffee berries / coffee cherries
The coffee cherry is the fruit that encases the seed (referred to as "beans" due to the resemblance) that is used to make coffee after it is dried and roasted. Out of hand the skin has an almost vegetable flavor with slight tannin, but the thin layer around the seed is sweet and mild; reminiscent of white peach and jasmin. Found on the tree in Fullerton Ca. Photos by Chris Mathews.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Bhut Jolokia/ Naga Jolokia/ ghost chili/ ghost pepper
Friday, June 24, 2011
Cayenne Pepper
Named after the town of Cayenne in French Guinea this cultivar of capsicum annuum generally rates between 30,000 to 50,000 on the Scolville Unit. Normally used in its dried and ground form, fresh it is a staple of Szechuan cuisine. Not normally available commercially, I grew these from seed in my apartment in Irvine, CA. Photo by Chris Mathews.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Chokecherry / Prunus virginiana / CapulÃn / Capolcuahuitl
A relative of the cherry and native to North America and Mexico, about size of a blueberry these guys tasted like a sweet cherry with a tannic bite. I was excited to find these since I have never seen them available commercially. Found on the tree in Garden Grove Ca thanks to Noe. Photo by Chris Mathews
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Loquat
This was my third run-in with Loquats. However, this was the first time that I experienced their true flavor profile and felt they were worth writing about. Typically harvested too early due to their extremely fragile nature, the ones that I have tried in the past have not been representative of their real taste. Additionally, they are normally overpriced. With the fact that they are grown in backyards all over Southern California it's weird that I have never tasted a good one, but these were a different story. I found these at a Persian market in South Orange County and they were obviously from a local backyard orchard. Additionally, these were affordable at about $4 per pound and sold in prepacked clam shell boxes. The taste is similar to an apricot, apple and orange blend, and had the consistency of an apricot with a thick skin that I decided to remove. They were light and refreshing. Found at Crown Valley Market Mission Viejo, CA. Photo by Chris Mathews.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Black Velvet Apricot
Lychee
Monday, June 13, 2011
San Francisco's China Town
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Mulberries
Friday, April 22, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Baby Kiwi / Kiwiberry / Hardy Kiwi
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Limequat
Monday, March 28, 2011
Manzano Pepper
This golf ball sized hot pepper with it distinctive black seeds rates higher than a Serrano on the Scoville heat index. Mainly used for fresh salsas, once i removed the seeds it tasted like a yellow bell pepper but not as sweet with a nice mild heat. Found at the Santa Barbara farmers market. photo by chris mathews
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Red Guajes / Leucaena
The seeds of the guaje can be eaten raw or roasted with salt. They are also used in making a mole or ground into a powder with cheese and used as a seasoning. These guy although a little over mature left their distinctive bitter slightly garlicky flavor in my mouth for at least 24 hours. found on the tree in mission viejo ca. photo by chris mathews
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
White Sapote / Zapote Blanco
This delicious, extremely fragile fruit is known as the sleep sapote (cochitzapotl ) in Nahuatl , has been known to cause drowsiness. The thin inedible skin changes from green to yellow while ripening and has a sweet vanilla custard flavor and consistency with a hint of pear and banana. found at the Santa Barbara farmers market. photo by chris mathews
Friday, February 18, 2011
Sumo / Dekopan
A long time favorite in Japan this seedless mandarin/orange hybrid just hit the Californian market for the first time a few days ago. About the size of a softball this deliciously sweet, easy to peel sumo has a perfect balance of sweet/tart flavor and a juicy melting flesh. found at Zion market Irvine Ca. photo by Chris Mathews
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Variegated Pink Lemon
Monday, January 31, 2011
Indian Jujube / Ber
These guys have a thin crisp skin and airy white firm flesh reminiscent of apples in taste and consistency. They are about the size of a walnut and have a hard seed running almost the length of the fruit. At this stage they are slightly under ripe and continue to a reddish color but flesh becomes more mealy. Found at Nina's Indian Grocery in Lake Forrest Ca photo by Chris Mathews
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Vaniglia Sanguigno / Vanilla Orange
Friday, January 21, 2011
Green Dragon Apples
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Kaffir Lime
This distinctively fragrant variety of tropical lime provides an irreplaceable flavor to Southeast Asian dishes by way of its leaves, zest and rind; while the juice in generally considered too acidic for use in cooking. The rind which is particularly oily when squeezed, also offers strong insecticidal properties. Found at San Clemente Famer's Market. Photo by Chris Mathews.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
yuzu
Monday, January 3, 2011
red currants
these tart /sweet delicate berries have a thin skin with hard seeds similar to a raspberry. they can be eaten fresh, used as a accompaniment in salads, garnishes, in drinks and can also be made into a jam. normally only available in the northern hemisphere in the summer, these were grown and shipped from Chile. purchased at gelsons market, irvine ca. photo by chris mathews
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
buddha's hand
this wonderfully smelling citron has a think rind, white pith and a minimal amount of flesh if any. its peel is mainly use for zesting or candying. it is also used as a religious offering at Buddhist temples, where it is said that Buddha prefers a closed group of "fingers" to resemble a praying hand. found at crown valley market mission viejo ca. photo by chris mathews
Friday, December 17, 2010
surinam cherry
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