Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
would you recommend I try?

wrote:
> Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
> commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
> would you recommend I try?

Passionfruit
Cherimoya
Starfruit
Buddha's hand
Fresh lychee

Pretty to look at, but virtually useless to eat: Dragonfruit

Serene
--
42 Magazine, celebrating life with meaning. Inaugural issue is here!
http://42magazine.com

"But here's a handy hint: if your fabulous theory for ending war and
all other human conflict will not survive an online argument with
humourless feminists who are not afraid to throw rape around as an
example, your theory needs work." -- Aqua, alt.polyamory

On Mon, 1 Jun 2009 22:08:22 -0700 (PDT),
shouted from the highest rooftop:

>Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
>commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
>would you recommend I try?

Mountain Paw Paw (aka papaya) from Fiji. Star Fruit from Central and
South America. Golden Kiwi Fruit from New Zealand. Finger Bananas from
Australia. Wild Lilikoi (aka passion fruit) from Hawaii. Galia Melon
(similar to Cantaloupe, but much sweeter) from Israel or Spain.
Feijoas (aka Pineapple guava) from New Zealand


--

una cerveza mas por favor ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

Serene Vannoy > wrote:

wrote:

>> Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
>> commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
>> would you recommend I try?

>Passionfruit
>Cherimoya
>Starfruit
>Buddha's hand
>Fresh lychee

I'd add rambutan. Love those things.

Also if you can find actual tropical non-Cavendish bananas...
not the Dole minis, but those that are a different breed entirely.

Steve

Serene recommended:

>> Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
>> commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
>> would you recommend I try?
>
> Passionfruit
> Cherimoya
> Starfruit
> Buddha's hand
> Fresh lychee
>
> Pretty to look at, but virtually useless to eat: Dragonfruit

In addition to the ones Serene posted, I'll add these:

Loquats
Sapote
Sea Grapes
Feijoa
Jackfruit

If you consider mango to be an exotic fruit, then it definitely belongs on
the list also.

I have to say that I personally find Surinam cherries, guavas, and jujubes
uninteresting. Rose apples taste pretty good, but I wouldn't pay much money
for them. In the category of "pretty to look at but virtually useless to
eat," I'll add kiwano.

Bob

On Jun 1, 10:08*pm, wrote:
> Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
> commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
> would you recommend I try?

Aside from the other suggestions, try guava and mangosteen. They both
have a refreshing sweet-and-sour flavor. Both are hard to find fresh
but the nectars and juices made from them (which you can readily find
as pop cans in Asian markets) well represent their flavor.

And if you think you're gamer than most westerners, then try durian --
or durian flavored ice cream if you're not used to the mushy custard-
like texture. It was very amusing to me to see that that fat guy on
the food network who will eat any strange food all over the world
couldn't eat this -- he failed the gourman litmus test with me, the
wimp. But I was raised on the stuff and love it.

--
Ht

> wrote:
>
> Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
> commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
> would you recommend I try?

You may find this site useful: http://www.crfg.org/

"Bob Terwilliger" > writes:


> Loquats

I don't know if loquats would qualify as an exotic fruit, at least not
in CA, where they were not uncommon. As kids, we knew where every
loquat tree in the neighborhood was and it was stripped of all its
juicy fruit a soon as it was edible. In fact, kumquats were more
exotic, to me. About the time I ran across my first kumquat, in the
old Berkeley Co-op, I was in my mid-thirties, married, and picking
loquats off a neighbor's tree I'd just discovered about a block from
our apartment.

nb

htn963 > writes:


> And if you think you're gamer than most westerners, then try durian --

I've yet to try the real deal, but I recall, with a chuckle, the time
our emergency response team, which I was on, responded to a
suspiciously bad odor near the lunch room. My company used many
exotic gases to make IC wafers and any strange odors had to be
investigated lest it be a potentially harmful gas leak. Turns out
one of the Asian production workers had warmed some frozen durian in
the microwave.

nb

Bob Terwilliger > wrote in message
...
[snip]
> Jackfruit
[snip]

Beware! This is NOT a hand-held fruit like many of those already listed. The
"fruit" is inside huge pods that can weigh 20 to 30 lbs. And if you're lucky
enough to find a vendor that will portion one down to a manageable size for
you, the sap that will leach out is stronger than Gorilla Glue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackfruit

Well-worth the pain and suffering quotient, though.

It's creamy and sweet!

The Ranger

notbob wrote:

> I don't know if loquats would qualify as an exotic fruit, at least not
> in CA, where they were not uncommon. As kids, we knew where every
> loquat tree in the neighborhood was and it was stripped of all its
> juicy fruit a soon as it was edible. In fact, kumquats were more
> exotic, to me. About the time I ran across my first kumquat, in the
> old Berkeley Co-op, I was in my mid-thirties, married, and picking
> loquats off a neighbor's tree I'd just discovered about a block from
> our apartment.

Loquats grow here fairly easily (though I bet if I planted a loquat tree it
would die. I'm good like that.) But you never see loquats in a store because
they're fragile and they have a very short shelf life. That's why I thought
the OP might consider them exotic.

Bob

On 2009-06-01 22:16:34 -0700, Serene Vannoy > said:

> Pretty to look at, but virtually useless to eat: Dragonfruit

Ah, but some find dragon fruit juice yummy.
--

thepixelfreak

On Mon, 1 Jun 2009 22:08:22 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

>Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
>commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
>would you recommend I try?

I notice that no one mentioned the "Chinese cherry", aka Chinese
lantern fruit, aka Physalis.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis

Its flavor goes well with both sweet and savory
foods. Ran into them in Prague served with
venison and sweet/sour braised cabbage. Balsamic
reduction .

Alex, who's not seen them for sale here in the US.

"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote:
> Serene recommended:
>
> > Cherimoya
> > Buddha's hand

These will grow in So Cal so I don't know where the boundary
is for exotic. I ended up growing a Buddha's hand citron in
my yard when I lived there.

> > Starfruit

Tart but nearly flavorless to me.

> Loquats

And all other kinds of citrus. While oranges, mandarins,
lemons and limes are common they aren't the only types.
Not just blood oranges or key limes either.

Not knowing what is and isn't exotic - dates, figs, many types
of berries ranging from the common in NA like strawberry,
blackberry, blueberry, cranberry to the common in EU like
bilberry, cloudberry, lingonberry and so on.

Do nuts count as fruit? Depends on where you draw the
boundary ...

On Jun 2, 4:55*am, wrote:
> htn963 > writes:
> > And if you think you're gamer than most westerners, then try durian --
>
> I've yet to try the real deal, but I recall, with a chuckle, the time
> our emergency response team, which I was on, responded to a
> suspiciously bad odor near the lunch room. *My company used many
> exotic gases to make IC wafers and any strange odors had to be
> investigated lest it be a potentially harmful gas leak. *Turns out
> one of the Asian production workers had warmed some frozen durian in
> the microwave. *

Lol. He probably left it in the microwave too long or used too high
power setting as ideally durian should be eaten as cold as possible.
Durian does have an assertive smell but I've never found it appoaching
the "rotten egg" status as described by many first-timers -- just a
whiff of its heady fume takes me back to exotic climes.

And I can assure you all that durian tastes much, much better than it
smells. But I suppose as with all strong flavored food (like anchovy,
capers) it's an acquired taste.

--
Ht

STOP THE PRESSES!

SWMBO just discovered the Golden Kiwi in Family
Circle July issue. Flavor a blend of Kiwi and
Melon.

Works for me!

Alex

Serene Vannoy wrote:
>
> wrote:
> > Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
> > commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
> > would you recommend I try?
>
> Passionfruit
> Cherimoya
> Starfruit
> Buddha's hand
> Fresh lychee
>
> Pretty to look at, but virtually useless to eat: Dragonfruit
>
> Serene


Don't know what you consider exotic of course.

Guava
Breadfruit
Jackfruit
Durian
Ackee
Tamarind (for cooking)
Rambutan
Uglifruit

Arri wrote:

> Don't know what you consider exotic of course.
>
> Guava
> Breadfruit
> Jackfruit
> Durian
> Ackee
> Tamarind (for cooking)
> Rambutan
> Uglifruit

Yours is the first positive recommendation I've seen for breadfruit. It's
usually described as glutinous and leaden. What are its GOOD qualities?

Bob

> wrote:

> Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
> commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
> would you recommend I try?

The fruit of the wakwak tree.

Victor

"In the light of their reluctance to accept new foods, one wonders if
the American colonists would even have welcomed the fruit of the wakwak
tree if they had had the good luck to find it. It seems to have become
suddenly extinct after 1729, when it was described as one of the new
plants of the New World by a Turkish writer Ibrahim Effendi, who failed
unfortunately to state exactly where it grew -- a pity, for it seems to
have been a delightful plant. Its fruit, Ibrahim Effendi /dixit/, was
"ripe and attractive women."

--Eating in America : a history / Waverley Root & Richard de Rochemont

In article >,
(Victor Sack) wrote:

> The fruit of the wakwak tree.
>
> Victor
>
> "In the light of their reluctance to accept new foods, one wonders if
> the American colonists would even have welcomed the fruit of the wakwak
> tree if they had had the good luck to find it. It seems to have become
> suddenly extinct after 1729, when it was described as one of the new
> plants of the New World by a Turkish writer Ibrahim Effendi, who failed
> unfortunately to state exactly where it grew -- a pity, for it seems to
> have been a delightful plant. Its fruit, Ibrahim Effendi /dixit/, was
> "ripe and attractive women."

After 1729, the Americans changed from a birch bark bed to a feather bed
and the fruit changed from wakwak to whooshwhoosh. It's still the same
fruit. You could look it up, but I wouldn't.

leo

Arri London > wrote in :

>
>
> Don't know what you consider exotic of course.
>
> Guava
> Breadfruit
> Jackfruit
> Durian
> Ackee
> Tamarind (for cooking)
> Rambutan
> Uglifruit

Arri, I think it might be illegal (if not, it's certainly immoral) to
recommend durian to someone without mentioning it's aroma :-)

--
Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold.
My Country, Dorothea MacKellar, 1904

Serene Vannoy > wrote in news:78jqthF1mrshqU8
@mid.individual.net:

> wrote:
>> Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
>> commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
>> would you recommend I try?
>
> Passionfruit
> Cherimoya
> Starfruit
> Buddha's hand
> Fresh lychee
>
> Pretty to look at, but virtually useless to eat: Dragonfruit
>
> Serene

Funny to see passionfruit listed here, because it just seems everyday,
ordinary fruit to me :-). I will get around to planting a vine one year,
save having to buy them as they do tend to have exotic prices! And funnily
enough, I'm drinking a can of Pasito (a passionfruit flavoured soft drink -
soda) while I read this.

Haven't tried cherimoya, and take or leave starfruit, love fresh lychees.
Not good to eat while using the computer though - keyboard gets sticky :-)

I thought Buddha's hand was only used for the peel?

--
Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold.
My Country, Dorothea MacKellar, 1904

Rhonda Anderson > wrote:
>
> Funny to see passionfruit listed here, because it just seems everyday,
> ordinary fruit to me :-).

Sure, what's exotic and what isn't? When I first moved to Los
Angeles from Niagra Falls/Buffalo I thought dates were exotic.
After living in LA for enough years I stopped thinking starfruit is
exotic.

> I thought Buddha's hand was only used for the peel?

Buddha's hand is almost entirely peel. I've kept them on the
shelf just for the aroma, grated them for the zest, even eaten
the peel as the rind is a lot less bitter than other citrus. It
was nice having that tree in my yard.

To me, I'd try any type of fruit I'd never had before and consider
it exotic. What's the chance that I won't like it? Pretty low.

On Wed, 3 Jun 2009 06:32:44 +0200, (Victor Sack)
wrote:

> wrote:
>
>> Earlier I posted a question asking why exotic fruits are not more
>> commonly found. The response said to go look at ethnic stores. So what
>> would you recommend I try?
>
>The fruit of the wakwak tree.

Ah, Wiktor, you mock me. <G>

Has no one out there ever eaten Physalis?

I thought you would know...

Alex

Alex wrote:

> Has no one out there ever eaten Physalis?

I bought some when I lived in Southern California, where they were labeled
as Cape gooseberries. The most interesting thing I found to do with them is
to peel back the husk and then dip them in a molten-sugar mixture to create
a brittle shell. They have to be eaten soon afterward, because humidity will
eventually cause the shell to soften. (Of course, it can't be *too* soon
afterward or you'll burn the hell out of yourself.) If I'd had more of them
I might have made a tart or something similar. I don't think I'd cook them
much beyond what I wrote above.

Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Alex wrote:
>
>> Has no one out there ever eaten Physalis?
>
> I bought some when I lived in Southern California, where they were
> labeled as Cape gooseberries. The most interesting thing I found to do
> with them is to peel back the husk and then dip them in a molten-sugar
> mixture to create a brittle shell. They have to be eaten soon afterward,
> because humidity will eventually cause the shell to soften. (Of course,
> it can't be *too* soon afterward or you'll burn the hell out of
> yourself.) If I'd had more of them I might have made a tart or something
> similar. I don't think I'd cook them much beyond what I wrote above.
>
> Bob


Are we talking about the little gold berries also called
ground cherries
or strawberry tomatoes? They used to grow wild int he
fields when I
was a kid and were one of the weeds allowed to grow in the
gardens.

Loved them!

gloria p

On Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:41:18 -0600, Puester >
wrote:

>Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>> Alex wrote:
>>

>
>Are we talking about the little gold berries also called
>ground cherries
>or strawberry tomatoes? They used to grow wild int he
>fields when I
>was a kid and were one of the weeds allowed to grow in the
>gardens.
>
>Loved them!
>
>gloria p
Also wondering if it is the what we call poha. They have paper,
lantern shaped, outsides and a gold delicious small berry inside. The
only clue I have, is that we too, Gloria, let them grow wherever they
want. Makes the absolute best jam--if you can gather enough.) All
the wild birds seem to know about them too.

aloha,
Cea

Chemiker > wrote:

> Has no one out there ever eaten Physalis?

Physalis is easy to find here for some reason. The berries are slightly
sour, which is nice, but are otherwise nothing special.

Probably the only really "exotic" fruits I find to be truly great are
mangosteens. I do not understand why they are not imported in greater
quantities, as they keep well and have a hard protective shell which
makes them eminently suitable for transport.

Then there are mangoes, not really exotic, as they are sold everywhere,
but they have to be at the peak of their ripeness and such are hard to
find here.

I have tried most fruits and berries mentioned in this thread and do not
find most of them to be worth the slightest bother. Maybe it is the
lack of real ripeness outside of their natural habitat. I would rather
have sour cherries, the best berries of them all, as far as I am
concerned. Wild raspberries, wild wood strawberries, wild bilberries
come close, though. I would say that these may now be the truly exotic
berries, probably not sampled by most posters in this thread.
Cultivated versions have no taste. Really good sour gooseberries, even
cultivated, can be nice, too.

Victor

Rhonda Anderson wrote:
>
> Arri London > wrote in :
>
> >
> >
> > Don't know what you consider exotic of course.
> >
> > Guava
> > Breadfruit
> > Jackfruit
> > Durian
> > Ackee
> > Tamarind (for cooking)
> > Rambutan
> > Uglifruit
>
> Arri, I think it might be illegal (if not, it's certainly immoral) to
> recommend durian to someone without mentioning it's aroma :-)
>
>

Mea Culpa! Yes it does smell rather a bit, doesn't it? My Singaporean
friends are crazy about durian, but it never impressed me.

On Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:34:32 -0600, Arri London >
wrote:

>
>
>Rhonda Anderson wrote:
>>
>> Arri London > wrote in :
>>
>> >
>> >
>> > Don't know what you consider exotic of course.
>> >
>> > Guava
>> > Breadfruit
>> > Jackfruit
>> > Durian
>> > Ackee
>> > Tamarind (for cooking)
>> > Rambutan
>> > Uglifruit
>>
>> Arri, I think it might be illegal (if not, it's certainly immoral) to
>> recommend durian to someone without mentioning it's aroma :-)
>>
Those are only exotic because they grow in the sub-tropics, where we
live. Now the mass of fresh berries many of you get, and to a lesser
degree, fresh apples and peaches etc. are exotic to us. Just the
"grass (exotic) is greener" idea.

By the way, there are yummy tamarind trees where the sweetness equals
the tartness, but you have to pick the right tree.

aloha,
Cea

Arri London > wrote in :

>
>
> Rhonda Anderson wrote:
>>
>> Arri London > wrote in :
>>
>> >
>> >
>> > Don't know what you consider exotic of course.
>> >
>> > Guava
>> > Breadfruit
>> > Jackfruit
>> > Durian
>> > Ackee
>> > Tamarind (for cooking)
>> > Rambutan
>> > Uglifruit
>>
>> Arri, I think it might be illegal (if not, it's certainly immoral) to
>> recommend durian to someone without mentioning it's aroma :-)
>>
>>
>
> Mea Culpa! Yes it does smell rather a bit, doesn't it? My Singaporean
> friends are crazy about durian, but it never impressed me.
>

I haven't tried it. They do sell it in the local supermarket but I've been
put off by all the reports of the smell. I know that it apparently tastes
great once you get past the smell, but I'm very sensitive to smells..

And, seeing my post in your reply I am bowing my head in shame. In my
defense it was very late when I posted, but I can't believe I wrote "it's"
aroma. Appalling! It should be "its".

--
Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

Core of my heart, my country! Land of the rainbow gold,
For flood and fire and famine she pays us back threefold.
My Country, Dorothea MacKellar, 1904

In article >,
Rhonda Anderson > wrote:


> >> Arri, I think it might be illegal (if not, it's certainly immoral) to
> >> recommend durian to someone without mentioning it's aroma :-)

> And, seeing my post in your reply I am bowing my head in shame. In my
> defense it was very late when I posted, but I can't believe I wrote "it's"
> aroma. Appalling! It should be "its".

It's OK. According to official Cabal (TINC) rules, you are allowed one
such minor grammar error every two months. I checked the spreadsheet,
and you are well within that limit.

:-)

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Rhonda Anderson wrote:
>
> Arri London > wrote in :
>
> >
> >
> > Rhonda Anderson wrote:
> >>
> >> Arri London > wrote in :
> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > Don't know what you consider exotic of course.
> >> >
> >> > Guava
> >> > Breadfruit
> >> > Jackfruit
> >> > Durian
> >> > Ackee
> >> > Tamarind (for cooking)
> >> > Rambutan
> >> > Uglifruit
> >>
> >> Arri, I think it might be illegal (if not, it's certainly immoral) to
> >> recommend durian to someone without mentioning it's aroma :-)
> >>
> >>
> >
> > Mea Culpa! Yes it does smell rather a bit, doesn't it? My Singaporean
> > friends are crazy about durian, but it never impressed me.
> >
>
> I haven't tried it. They do sell it in the local supermarket but I've been
> put off by all the reports of the smell. I know that it apparently tastes
> great once you get past the smell, but I'm very sensitive to smells..
>
> And, seeing my post in your reply I am bowing my head in shame. In my
> defense it was very late when I posted, but I can't believe I wrote "it's"
> aroma. Appalling! It should be "its".
>
> --
>

Points off for SPG then LOL. That should be the worst mistake you ever
make in your life

Dan Abel wrote:
>
> In article >,
> Rhonda Anderson > wrote:
>
> > >> Arri, I think it might be illegal (if not, it's certainly immoral) to
> > >> recommend durian to someone without mentioning it's aroma :-)
>
> > And, seeing my post in your reply I am bowing my head in shame. In my
> > defense it was very late when I posted, but I can't believe I wrote "it's"
> > aroma. Appalling! It should be "its".
>
> It's OK. According to official Cabal (TINC) rules, you are allowed one
> such minor grammar error every two months. I checked the spreadsheet,
> and you are well within that limit.
>
> :-)
>
>

There ya go!

Arri London wrote:
> Dan Abel wrote:
>>
>> In article >,
>> Rhonda Anderson > wrote:
>>
>>>>> Arri, I think it might be illegal (if not, it's certainly immoral) to
>>>>> recommend durian to someone without mentioning it's aroma :-)
>>
>>> And, seeing my post in your reply I am bowing my head in shame. In my
>>> defense it was very late when I posted, but I can't believe I wrote
>>> "it's" aroma. Appalling! It should be "its".
>>
>> It's OK. According to official Cabal (TINC) rules, you are allowed one
>> such minor grammar error every two months. I checked the spreadsheet,
>> and you are well within that limit.
>>
>> :-)
>>
>>
>
> They're ya go!

I fixed your post for you ;-)

Cheers,

Michael Kuettner