ASIAN EXOTIC FRUITS

The most striking aspect of the tropical Asian market is its native fruits---some cultivated, others may be gathered from the forest. Fruits are an important aspect of tropical Asian diet. They are surrounded by tradition and folklore. The richness of aroma, texture, color and flavor is in extreme contrast to that of the limited fruits in American groceries.

When trying new fruits, some are immediately embraced while others are appreciated by cultivating a taste for them by repeated trials and an open mind.

One of the premier fruits of the tropics is the Mangosteen (garcinia mangostona). It has a purple skin and 1/2 inch thick rind encasing a segmented, pearly white luminous center resembling a peeled tangerine. The rind is discarded and the luscious center is eaten fresh. Its flavor is sweet and tart, and the pulp melts onto your tongue. Everyone likes the Mangosteen on the first try, and many feel it is the finest fruit in the world.

"Like fine French custard passed through a sewer pipe" is part of a description of Durian (durio zibethinus) written by an early Dutch traveler. Undeniably, the Durian is the most controversial of tropical Asian fruits and one of the most beloved. In fact, the extreme value placed upon Durian is a phenomenon difficult for Westerners to comprehend. Select varieties are expensive. Fruits range from 6" to 10" long and can weigh up to ten pounds. The rind is covered with very sharp spines and the fruit is carried by the stem or by a string to avoid manual handling of the fruit. Inside each durian are five sections with one to several seeds encased within a cream or yellow-colored aromatic, custard-like pulp. Flavor is intriguing and difficult to describe. A custard with almond, onion and cream cheese might begin to describe this wonderful fruit. The fragrance of Durian is another matter---a mixture of pungent, penetrating smell of garlic, sulfur, rotten onions and strongly-flavored cheese. So strong is the smell of this exquisite fruit that it is forbidden in hotels, restaurants and taxis even in communities most favoring it. A single fruit opened covertly in a hotel room is quickly known in the entire hotel.

Durian legends abound in Asia. It is widely held as an aphrodisiac. It is referred to as a "heating" fruit that causes the body to feel warm. Over consumption is said to be balanced by eating a "cooling" fruit like the Mangosteen or the Wax Jambu (szygium), a small bell-shaped, red or pink fruit, with a crisp white interior and mild flavor. A commonly held belief is that drinking alcoholic beverages after eating durian can cause illness or death. I have seen many test this belief but no one succumbed. Those lucky enough to try durian soon cultivate a taste for its luscious flavor and shortly find the odor only a tantalizing invitation to this exquisite southeast Asian delicacy.

Jackfruit (artocarpus heterophyllus) is very common in tropical Asia, being the largest cultivated tree fruit in the world. It can weigh as much as 70 pounds. Looking like a watermelon dressed in crocodile skin, it is easy to spot. Of course, few people need a 70-pound fruit, so it is sold in pieces. Jackfruit has a central core from which radiate chestnut-sized seeds each of which is enveloped in a layer of sweet chewy pulp. It might be described as cantaloupe combined with banana and "Juicy Fruit" gum. It should not be missed and is often sold skewered on a bamboo splinter in the market for immediate consumption.

Chempedak (artocarpus integer) looks like a smaller version of the jackfruit. Although similar in anatomy, the chempedak is smaller with smoother skin, and has a stronger aroma approaching that of durian. It, too, seems to be a "heating" fruit. Like durian, the chempedak is delicious once a taste for it is acquired. But your first encounter could be challenging.

Pummelo (citrus grandis) is the largest commonly cultivated citrus fruit in the world. Grown throughout the hot, humid Asian tropics, the Pummelo reaches its zenith in the swampy tidal deltas of Thailand. In the 1700's, the pummelo was taken to the great mixing bowl of the Caribbean, and, generations later, the pummelo gave rise to the grapefruit. Perhaps the best way to describe pummelo to Americans is that it is similar to a grapefruit without the sour and bitter taste. Flesh color, like grapefruit, can be white, green, red or pink. After the thick rind is peeled away, the large leathery segments are opened and the juice vesicles are eaten with the fingers. Pummelos are very popular. They may appear in the market when they are not quite ripe. Often this occurs prior to Chinese holidays due to its role as a traditional symbol to gift. Pummelo is a citrus fruit and is more familiar to westerners and, therefore, more quickly appreciated.

Closely related and among the most beloved fruits in Asia are the Lychee (litchi chinensis), Longan (euphoria longana), Rambutan (nephelium lappaceum) and Pulisan (nephelium mutabile). The lychee and the longan are actually grown in the subtropical zone between the tropic and the temperate regions, originating in southern China and northern Thai, Africa, India, and Florida.

Florida's emerging lychee and longan industry is expanding rapidly. The lychee fruit is about 1 1/2" long and is covered with a thin red, rough, brittle and leathery skin that encases a sphere of translucent white pulp with the texture of a peeled grape and a succulent sweet flesh. A single large brown seed easily slips from within the fruit pulp. The longan has light brown skin and is smoother and more round than lychee. It has a translucent gray pulp surrounding a round seed which is easy to spit out. Both are eaten fresh and dried and are among China's most beloved fruits. Although they grow in the cooler subtropics, imported fruits are found at larger markets in the extreme Asian tropics as well. The tropical cousins to the lychee and longan are the rambutan, pulisan, and the Mata Kuching (Malay for cat's eye). Rambutan (a Malay word meaning hairy lychee) is very much like lychee but its rind is covered with long flexible prickles. Its color ranges from dark red to bright yellow. Unlike the lychee, its pulp often clings to the seed and makes eating more difficult. Pulisan is less widely known but is superior to the rambutan in quality. It is covered with thick blunt spines and varies in color from red to purple, black or green. Mata Kuching from Malaysia and Indonesia is a smaller tropical form of the Longan. All of these fruits are immediately enjoyed upon their first encounter and are highly recommended.

Carambola (averrhoa carambola) or "Star Fruit," can be very sour, bland or mildly sweet according to ripeness and variety. In most markets, dark yellow fruits will be sweet and pleasant for eating fresh. Green ones are sour and are used for cooking and making pickles. Extremely sour varieties are high in oxalic acid and have been used to clean the tarnish from brassware. The fruit is sliced to make five pointed star shaped sections. Carambola is now grown in South Florida commercially and is available in U.S. markets. A close relative to the Carambola is the Bilimbi (averrhoa bilimbi) which looks like a green pickle and is used in curries and to make pickles.

Langsat (lansium domesticum) is a wonderful little fruit about 1 1/2" long. It hangs in bunches. The thin tan colored skin is easily peeled to reveal a pearly sectioned interior like a tangerine. One or more green seeds may be present. Duku is another variety of Langsat and is also held in high esteem. The flavor of both is like a sweetened non-bitter grapefruit with a grape texture.

Highly regarded in its homeland, the Philippines, the Mabolo or Velvet Apple (diospyrus philippensis) achieves only moderate fanfare elsewhere in the Asian tropics. This persimmon relative is the size and shape of a tomato with a beautiful copper fuzzy skin encasing a cream-colored, mealy, slightly dry sweet pulp. In the market, fruits often have had the fuzz rubbed off of the skin yielding a brick red color.

Bael Fruit (aegle marmelos) is native to and most favored in India and Sri Lanka. It is larger than a baseball and has a very hard shell. Inside the gummy pulp is like a combination of citrus oil and flower with a citrus fragrance. It is eaten with palm sugar at breakfast. The trifoliate leaf has a special significance to Hindus and is associated with Shiva. Trees and plants are often found around Hindu temples.

Mango (mangifera indica) is one of the most widely eaten fruits in the tropical world. Originating from India to the Philippines, most mangos in tropical Asia are not the brightly colored varieties found in the U.S. but are slim, pale green or yellow. Usually eaten when still slightly green, they are excellent although perhaps different from the mangos you have tried in the U.S.

A wooden spinning top covered with snake skin is a good description of the Salak Palm fruit (Zalaccia edulis). Fruit of a small thorny palm with a crisp cream colored dry flesh and an acidic flavor, it can be quite refreshing.

Travelers are sometimes reluctant to drink anything but bottled drinks. A good, safe and nutritious alternative in the native market is Coconut Water. No matter where a coconut grows, the water within the center of the nut is pure and safe. Vendors selling drinking nuts will open them for you and even give you a straw. After the water is consumed in a coconut, the shell is broken open and the immature, jelly-like meat is scraped out and eaten (it is called "spoon meat"). A pocket knife is useful to peel fresh fruits which will be safe to eat. Of course the outside skin of any fruit might be avoided by the traveler unless you can wash it off in chlorinated water at your hotel.

Rambutans are a deep crimson or bright yellow. You open the fruit by splitting the tough skin with a thumbnail and peeling it off. Or you can draw a knife around its middle and pull the top off to reveal a lovely firm white fruit in its own miniature egg cup that's easy to hold or hand to a friend. In size and taste, the rambutan most closely resembles the lychee. To eat, pop the rambutan whole into your mouth and chew your way around the single seed that you'll find in the centre.

Tasting fruits throughout the market is a great way to absorb some of the fundamental aspects of Asia. Don't be shy, ask about what you see. Vendors are usually pleased to share your first experience with their fruits. Let them show you the way to eat them. Be positive and inquisitive and you will make friends and enrich your visit.

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