Breadfruit Bonanza

Here is some breadfruit we found at one of

the many fruit stands in Hawaii. Picture by me!

I got married over the summer in July, which meant it was time for a honeymoon! Thanks to my husband's parents, we were lucky enough to visit Hawaii. I was incredibly excited, because of course, Hawaii meant new fruit to try! I'd never been to Hawaii before, so I was pretty impressed to find such a variety of tropical fruit.

While there, I found many varieties of mangoes (I tried 4 types!), gold and orange-skinned passion fruit (they call it lilikoi), soursop, jackfruit, surinam cherries, and even breadfruit! By far, breadfruit was the most interesting fruit I had in Hawaii. I'd been excited to try it, as it is a rare fruit frequently discussed among fruit hunters.

From the outside, breadfruit looks similar to soursop and jackfruit, though it is less spiky. They range in size, but the one I purchased was on the smaller side, about the size of a grapefruit. When cut and pulled apart, I was shocked to find the inner pit covered in hair-like strands. Though the fruit looked strange, I was ready to dig in.

This is a picture of the interior of the breadfruit I purchased. Half of it was not very ripe (the left side),

but the half on the right was nice and soft! Picture taken by Amy Prosser.

Grabbing a spoon, I scooped out the softest of the flesh. The fruit had the strangest texture in my mouth, like raw bread dough (I surmise this is how it's name was decided). It was sweet with a light tropical flavor, but the texture is clearly the reason to eat it. Dining on the gooey, dough-like fruit is truly a singular experience.

Here is that amazing breadfruit dessert! We experienced this magical creation

at Leilani's On the Beach in Kaanapali, Maui. Picture by Amy Prosser.

According to Wikipedia, breadfruit can also be cooked. During our stay, we never had any cooked, but we did once have an amazing passionfruit and breadfruit dessert. It was the best dessert we had while in Hawaii! It was like a cheesecake, but the breadfruit brought all the creaminess needed without any dairy needing to be added. The fruit was blended together and chilled with a sort of gram cracker crust. Oh how I wish I could go back and have that dessert again!

All in all, if you ever have the chance to try breadfruit, don't pass it up! My husband didn't like it (and I'm not sure how much of it I could have eaten by itself), yet I loved every minute of the experience.

The Popular Pomegranate

Pomegranates are one of my favorite autumn fruits. Though they are difficult to peel and eat without making a huge mess, the bright little jewels within their ruddy red exterior makes them a delight to behold, let alone eat. The fruit inside is really just juice - juice encased in tiny orbs with seeds in the middle. I love popping a handful of the orbs into my mouth and crunching down on the pods; they burst in your mouth, releasing the intensely tart, red juice. Just beware: that blood red juice easily stains clothes!

Creative Commons image by Chany Crystal

My grandmother used to grow pomegranates in her backyard. Every Thanksgiving, she would place pomegranates in the center of the table amongst other fall fruits, like Bosc pears and persimmons. It was always so lovely to have the colors of fall on the table: deep reds, oranges, and browns. To this day, I still prefer a fruit centerpiece over flowers.

When I was a child, I had no clue how to remove the delicious seeds without taking forever. I would spend at least 30 minutes picking all the seeds out, staining my fingers red in the process. When I was done, it was a divine pleasure to finally relax and eat the fruit without the internal white leafy parts. I never realized there were easier ways to extract the seeds until I became an adult. I've included a video here that explains how to remove the seeds in no time at all! I wish someone had told me how to do this when I was little; I would have had so much more time to watch Nickelodeon! I recommend following these steps, then eating the tasty pods by themselves with a spoon or over vanilla ice cream. They are also excellent on salads, as a garnish for soups, and mixed in with squash (after you've already cooked the squash)!

Cape Gooseberry Goodness

Gooseberries are not something we regularly see in Los Angeles, let alone in America. Gooseberries are a fruit much more popular in England and Europe, but occasionally you may be lucky enough to find some of these jewels in your local grocery store. There are several types of gooseberries, but the ones I was able to find last week were cape gooseberries, (also called pichuberries or physalis).

Creative Commons image of gooseberries and grapes by Muy Yum

While normal gooseberries are green and somewhat translucent, cape gooseberries are bright orange. In the image to the right, the green berries on the left are normal gooseberries, while the orange, tomato-like berries in the middle are cape gooseberries. In fact, cape gooseberries are closely related to the tamatillo and more distantly related to the tomato (Wikipedia).

These are some of the gooseberries I purchased.

Before you eat a cape gooseberry, you must remove the outer husk (called a calyx). The outer husks are shaped like little lanterns; they're actually pretty cute, until they start drying out and curling up as the gooseberry within ripens. Once you remove the husk, you're ready to pop the little orange orbs into your mouth. Cape gooseberries start with a light, sweet flavor, move into a deep sour flavor, and end with a strange tomato aftertaste. They are full of crunchy seeds, so the mouth feel is a little different than that of a grape or other berry. They are seedy like blueberries, but their seeds are a little larger and harder. I will say I do not personally like to eat very many cape gooseberries at once, since they are rather tart. Generally, cape gooseberries (as well as normal gooseberries) are often used in recipes. In Los Angeles, I have only seen gooseberry beer, but when I traveled to England there were gooseberries in lots of different products, from yogurt to cakes.

If you buy some cape gooseberries, I recommend eating a few plain, but you should plan to try using them in some recipes. Try making a cape gooseberry salad with avocado and cucumber, as this blogger describes. Cape gooseberries also make great jams and jam tarts. If you love desserts, try making a super-easy cape gooseberry fool (which is somewhat like fresh whipped cream with fruit in it - fools are very popular in England). For those meat lovers out there, try making a dish combining beef with cape gooseberries.

If you're wondering where to find cape gooseberries, I have had the most luck finding them in Whole Foods stores. These cape gooseberries I found a week ago were located at the Whole Foods at 3rd and Fairfax. I will say, if you live in Los Angeles and like unique fruits, the Whole Foods at 3rd and Fairfax regularly has some interesting finds. I don't live near that store, but I do try to stop by whenever I'm in the area.

Good luck on your hunt for cape gooseberries!

The Precious Persimmon

Picture taken by Amy Prosser

When I was little, I ate persimmons every year when my family visited my grandparents for Thanksgiving. My grandparents lived on a farm in Bakersfield, and they had a variety of fruit and nut trees on their large property. This included pomegranate, orange, lemon, lime, walnut, and of course, persimmon trees. While many people have never had a persimmon, I look forward to them every year during Autumn.

Before I describe the taste of these delicious fruits, I should note that there are actually two main types of persimmons: Hyacinth and Fuyu persimmons. Hyacinth persimmons look somewhat like giant orange acorns, while Fuyu persimmons look like short orange tomatoes. Hyacinth persimmons are meant to be eaten when they are soft and gushy, while Fuyu persimmons should be nice and crunchy (in the image here, I'm holding a Fuyu I just took a bite out of). There are also other varieties of persimmons, such as chocolate persimmons and cinnamon persimmons, but I've generally found that while they are tasty, they may not always be worth their high prices.

Picture taken by Amy Prosser

In the image shown here, the two persimmons on the left are Hyacinths. The one on the far left is ripe (they become a little shriveled as they ripen). The two persimmons on the right are Fuyu. When choosing a Fuyu persimmon, look for a nice orange color (not too yellow) and firmness with a little give when squeezed.

Persimmons generally taste like a cantaloupe and a pumpkin had a baby. Fuyu persimmons have a light sweetness to them, which complements their crispy, pulpy texture nicely. Hyacinth persimmons are syrupy-sweet when ripe, and their flesh is so soft it's almost all liquid. I don't know of another fruit you eat that is as wet and messy as a ripe hyacinth persimmon. Sadly, not everyone likes persimmons. My boyfriend, Jeff, thinks they taste like soap. While I don't agree, they do leave a strange chalky taste in your mouth, increasingly so the more underripe they are. That chalkiness is almost like a lingering earthiness on your palate, one that I personally do enjoy.

If you want to try a persimmon for yourself, you can commonly find them at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and other specialty grocers in the months of October and November. If you have any Asian markets around, try there too as persimmons are more popular in countries like Japan, China, and Korea than they are here in the U.S. If you've never tried a persimmon before, I'd recommend trying a Fuyu persimmon first as they are easier to find pre-ripened and are generally more agreeable to people. Let me know what kind of persimmons you like in the comments below!