Jazz up Your Menus with Exotic Fruits
Fresh fruits are a delight in any menu
and an important contribution to a nutritionally balanced diet. Do you ever
wish that you could add some new or unusual fruits to your diet? Fresh fruits
from New Zealand, such as passion fruit, feijoa, tamarillo and Kiwano® melons
may be just what you need. Recipes using these fruits will jazz up your meals
and expand your culinary repertoire.
New Zealand's rich volcanic soil and
temperate climate are ideal for growing exotic fruits. In the past, the only
way to sample them was to travel to New Zealand, but, thanks to overnight
international shipping, luscious exotic fruits from all over the world are more
easily accessible. Today, many grocery stores and ethnic markets provide a wide
array of unusual fruits, especially in larger cities that have large ethnic
populations.
The egg-shaped green Feijoa
(fay-ZHWAH-uh) (also known as pineapple guava) resembles a fuzzless kiwi fruit.
Native to South America, the feijoa belongs to the same family as guava, cloves
and eucalyptus. Its cream-colored flesh is sweet and fragrant with a texture
like that of a pear. To prepare feijoa, cut it in half and remove the flesh
with a spoon. Depending on the fruit's maturity, the skin may be bitter; it is
easily removed with a knife or vegetable peeler.
Originally from the Andean region of
South America, the Tamarillo (also known as the “tree tomato”) looks like an
elongated plum. It comes in two varieties: red (purplish-red or crimson skin
with orange-colored flesh) or gold (golden-orange with yellowish flesh).
Although the skin is inedible, the firm flesh has a sweet-tart flavor that
makes it suitable to eat as a fruit or vegetable.
New Zealanders prepare tamarillos by
cutting off the top, then simply squeezing out the flesh. You may also peel the
skin with a knife. Rich in vitamins A and C, you can eat fresh tamarillos out
of hand or substitute them for tomatoes in salads or salsas. Pureed, sweetened
tamarillos are also delightful on ice cream, sorbet or yogurt.
You may already be familiar with
Kiwano horned melons. Their unusual spiked shell has made them commonplace on
some sci-fi television series. Related to melons and squash, Kiwanos (also
called African horned melons) originated in Southwest Africa. Golden bright
orange when ripe, Kiwanos have white seeds encased in juicy green pulp. Its
shape is oblong and reaches 4 to 6 inches in length. The fruit is slightly tart
with a subtle taste similar to cucumber or honeydew melon. Kiwanos have a long
shelf life (around two weeks) and are best if stored at room temperature.
The outer spiky skin of Kiwanos can
serve as a decorative serving bowl and the pulp makes a colorful dressing for
fruit, seafood, poultry or vegetable salads. For an exotic drink, you can blend
the pulp, strain it to remove the seeds, add a squeeze of citrus juice, then
mix it with orange- or melon-flavored liqueur. Kiwanos are very low in calories
and sodium. They are also a good source of vitamin C and iron and provide twice
as much potassium as bananas.
Passion fruit is probably the best
known of the exotic fruits and is especially popular on restaurant dessert
menus. It's a small, round fruit about the size of a large egg with wrinkled
purple-brown skin. The yellow-green, jelly-like flesh and edible seeds have an
unforgettable fragrance and tart flavor that infuses beverages, salads, sorbets
and chutneys with a tropical flair. Passion fruit is actually ripe when the
skin is wrinkled and looks old. To prepare it, simply cut in half and scoop out
the flesh with a spoon.
To make passion fruit juice, simply
blend the pulp and seeds, strain the mixture through a fine strainer, discard
the seeds and chill. Add this juice to orange juice, punch, tropical smoothies,
sauces, pastry fillings, cake frosting, baked goods, fruit salads, sorbets or
ice creams. Passion fruit is very low in calories, and it contains vitamins A
and C and potassium.
The next time you're shopping in your
local market, take a look at these exotic fruits first hand. You'll discover
the fun of trying a new food and be able to take your family on a New Zealand
culinary adventure without ever leaving home. You can learn more about these
exotic fruits and find more recipes at Melissa's Web site, a supplier for these
and many other unusual fruits.
