Exotic Fruits (Engl) (IT) (Esp)

(Salmonberry)

Mulberries (Engl)








White Mulberry (Engl)





Kumquats (Engl)





Kumquats are a contrary fruit.
Unlike almost every other citrus variety, you eat the entire fruit, skin and all. What's more, the sweet part is the peel, whereas the pulp is extremely tart (or at least sour enough that the peel seems sweet in contrast).


Spiced whole Kumquats (Engl)




Servings: Makes about 6 cups

Serve the kumquats warm with a little of the reserved juices, either alone or with roast pork or other rich meats.

2 1/2 pounds kumquats, about 3 (12-ounce) pints

7 cups sugar, divided

1 1/2 ounces cinnamon sticks, about 12 (3-inch sticks), broken to bits

Scant 1/4 cup whole allspice

1 tablespoon whole cloves

3/4 cup white vinegar

1. Make a small horizontal slit in the top of each kumquat (over the stem end), no more than one-fourth-inch deep. This will allow the marinade to permeate the entire fruit.

2. Place the fruit along with 3 quarts water in a large soup or stock pot over medium-high heat. Gently simmer until tender, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Drain the water out of the pot, and add 3 cups fresh water. Stir in a generous 1 3/4 cups sugar and heat the mixture over medium heat. Cook until a thermometer inserted reads 200 degrees, or until the mixture barely begins to simmer, stirring occasionally. Be careful that the mixture does not come to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside overnight.

4. Repeat the process two more times, draining the syrup and adding another generous 1 3/4 cups of sugar with 3 cups fresh water.

5. Make the spice infusion: In a medium saucepan, combine one-half quart of water with the cinnamon, allspice and cloves over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain and set aside.

6. Drain the kumquats and add the remaining sugar, with 3 cups water, one-fourth cup of the spice mix, and the vinegar. Heat the mixture until a thermometer inserted reads 200 degrees; remove from the heat. At this point, the kumquats can be refrigerated, covered, for several weeks, or canned according to the canning-product manufacturer's instructions.


Tejocote (Engl)

Tejocote is the common name for Crataegus mexicana and 14 other species of Mexican hawthorns, native to the country's highlands; the name is derived from the Nahuatl word "texocotl," meaning stone fruit. In Guatemala, where the fruit also grows, it is called manzanilla, meaning little apple.






Nespolo del Giappone (IT)

Il Nespolo del Giappone (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) è una pianta originario della Cina orientale, dove è ancora coltivato, così come in Giappone, in zone temperato-calde; diffuso negli Stati Uniti e nell'areale mediterraneo soprattutto per ornamentale, mentre la coltivazione avviene in Spagna, nella Valencia, in Italia, nella provincia di Palermo e un po' in Calabria.
I frutti, che generalmente vengono consumati freschi, risultano caratterizzati da polpa fondente, agro-dolce, profumata e rinfrescante. Possono essere inoltre utilizzati per la produzione di prodotti trasformati quali marmellate, succhi, sciroppate, bevande alcoliche. Le foglie in diversi Paesi vengono utilizzate per curare malattie della pelle ed il diabete. Il miele di nespolo del Giappone è particolarmente apprezzato in Sicilia e ad Alicante (Spagna).





Passion Fruit (Engl)

An egg-shaped tropical fruit that is also called a purple granadilla, the passion fruit has a brittle, wrinkled purple-brown rind enclosing flesh-covered seeds, something like a pomegranate (granadilla means "little pomegranate" in Spanish). The seeds are edible so you can eat the orange pulp straight from the shell. Passion fruit is more commonly sieved and its highly aromatic pulp and juice are used as a flavoring for beverages and sauces. The pulp has an intense aromatic flavor, while the texture is jelly-like and watery. The flavor is likened to Guava.

Passion Fruit is generally eaten fresh but may be cooked for use in sauces and fillings. Begin by cutting the fruit in half and scooping out the fleshy pulp with a spoon. Spoon the pulp over ice cream or other soft fruits. The pulp makes a delicious jam or jelly and the seeds add a unique crunchy texture. To remove seeds: Strain in a non-aluminum sieve, or use cheesecloth, squeezing to extract the juice.

Australian Limes (Engl)

Six small citrus species known as lime are native to Australia. Five are found only in the rainforests of the north. The sixth, the Desert Lime (Eremocitrus glauca), grows in semi-arid areas of southeastern Australia. Two of the five rainforest limes occur naturally in southeast Queensland - the Finger Lime (Citrus australasica) and a small round lime known as the Round Lime or Gympie Lime (Citrus australis) and called Dooja by the Aborigines. Citrus glauca (Desert Lime) has green grey foliage much like an olive tree.

The Australian Finger lime is found growing in the subtropical rainforests as a small understorey tree, with an average height of 6m. It has a narrow, spindly form, axillary thorns and angular branches.

The finger lime has been recently popularised as a gourmet bushfood. The cylindrical fruit has globular vesicles, likened to a "caviar lime", which can be used as a garnish or added to various recipes. The fresh vesicles have the effect of a burst of effervescent tangy flavour as they are chewed. Marmalade and pickles are also made from finger lime. The finger lime peel can be dried and used as a flavouring spice.

There is a wide range of different coloured variants of finger lime fruit, including green, yellow, orange, red, purple, black and brown. Thought to be the widest range of colour variation within any ''Citrus'' species.
The finger lime has been recently grown on a commercial basis in Australia in response to high demand for the fruit.

Used in chutneys, jams, marmalades, savory sauces and refreshing drinks. In great demand for culinary use as it displays well as a garnish.



The Caviar of the Citrus World (Engl)






Finger Lime Varieties













Il Chinotto (IT)





Il Chinotto (Citrus myrtifolia Raf.) è un agrume originario della Cina meridionale (da cui deriva il nome comune).
E' presente in Europa da molti secoli. Secondo alcuni studiosi è considerato una mutazione gemmaria del Citrus aurantium.
In Italia viene coltivato esclusivamente nella Riviera Ligure di Ponente.
E' un piccolo albero (fino a tre metri di altezza), compatto, con lenta crescita e privo di spine.
Le foglie ricordano quelle del Mirto (da cui il nome scientifico) e sono piccole, ellittiche, appuntite, cuoiose e color verde lucente.
I fiori sono piccoli, bianchi, molto profumati, solitari o riuniti in gruppi e in posizione ascellare o terminale.
I frutti hanno modeste dimensioni, schiacciati alle due estremità e, maturi, sono di color arancio intenso. La polpa è amara e acida e suddivisa in 8-10 segmenti.
I frutti sono utilizzati per produrre canditi, liquori, marmellate, mostarde e la classica bibita.
Viene innestato soprattutto su arancio amaro.. si presta molto bene alla coltivazione in vaso.

L’etimologia è facile, “chinotto” (al contrario dell’ albero di “china”, peruviano) viene da “Cina”. Anzi uno dei nomi comuni del chinotto è “arancino amaro della Cina”. Ma qualcuno (pochissimi) lo chiama anche “arancio di Goa” perché suppone che nella città indiana cresca spontaneo.
La maggioranza dei botanici pensa che il chinotto derivi dall’ arancio amaro, molto apprezzato in Liguria come pianta ornamentale. Questa pianta (il Citrus aurantium) deriverebbe da un’ibridazione tra Citrus maxima e Citrus reticolata avvenuta secoli fa in Cina. Poi gli Arabi lo hanno importato nel X secolo in Spagna e Sicilia, mentre i Crociati lo hanno incontrato in Palestina nell’ XI.
Il Citrus myrtifolia invece come dicevo deriva da una mutazione dell’ arancio amaro forse sviluppatasi in Cina e poi importata da un Savonese alla fine del 1500 (versione nota ma con accenti leggendari) oppure avvenuta in qualche coltivazione non meglio precisata del Mediterraneo.

I frutti sono relativamente piccoli a forma rotonda, delle dimensioni di un'albicocca, con buccia di spessore medio di color arancio intenso, polpa amara e acida; possono restare attaccati alla pianta fino a 2 anni, sono usati per la preparazione di bibite gassate dissetanti, ma anche di canditi o di amari digestivi.





Il Bergamotto (IT) (Link)


http://www.bergamottoconsorzio.it/aprivideo.html



10 Frutti dimenticati dell'Autunno (IT)

I frutti dell'autunno quasi scomparsi dalle nostre tavole: dall'uva spina al corbezzolo, passando per corniole e giuggiole. Ecco dieci "frutti dimenticati" da riscoprire, alcuni sempre più rari da trovare.


(Link)


10 frutti dimenticati dell'autunno



The Ackee Fruit (Engl)

A handful of islands grow ackee as an ornamental tree, but only Jamaica looks at it as a tree that bears edible fruit. The ackee fruit is bright red. When ripe, it bursts open to reveal three large black seeds and bright yellow flesh. The flesh of the ackee is popular as a breakfast food throughout Jamaica. Ackee's scientific name, blighia sapida, comes from Captain Bligh, who introduced the plant to Jamaica from West Africa. Ackee is poisonous if eaten before it is fully mature and because of its toxicity, it is subject to import restrictions and may be hard to obtain in some countries. Never open an ackee pod; it will open itself when it ceases to be deadly. Ackee is sold canned in West Indian markets.




The National Fruit of Jamaica: Ackee





Mangosteen (Engl) 

Yangmei (Engl)

Yangmei, also called red bayberry or yamamomo, is a type of sweet fruit native to Asia.  Yangmei is very high in vitamin C, and the fruit has been cultivated for thousands of years in China, where today it is eaten raw, fermented into alcoholic beverages, and used to produce a distinct reddish dye, which is extracted from the bark of the tree.


Blueberries (Engl)



Grapefruit (Engl)




Arance rosse (IT)

 Naranjo amargo con Flor de Azahar (Esp)




El azahar es una palabra de origen árabe-como tantas de nuestra gastronomía-que quiere decir flor blanca. El agua de azahar es el producto que se obtiene destilando pétalos de la flor de azahar del naranjo amargo (Citrus aurantium), se trata de una flor pequeña y blanca que cuando se abre es muy aromática. Esta flor la encontramos en los árboles cítricos como el limonero y sobre todo el naranjo. Se da generalmente en zonas como el de la costa mediterránea, es decir, en climas fríos pero no extremos.
Su utilización en la repostería es variada, magdalenas,algunos almíbares, bizcochos ligeros, etc.


Buddha's Hand Citron (Engl)

Buddha's Hand is a citron. Citron fruits are fragrant and citrus, but unlike an orange or lemon, they don’t have the juicy stuff in the middle. They are all rind.

Limes (Engl)




























Jackfruit (Engl)


(Pictures courtesy of Jugalbandi.info)



 






Chilean Carica (Engl)




There are flavors of papaya, peach, pear and other fruits in the carica; but like any fruit, it is its own unique self. It is nicely sweet, making one wonder what it would taste like if it was packaged with slightly less sugar.

The carica is a versatile fruit: It enhances any dish from an appetizer to a green salad to dessert; it makes a colorful addition to any plate; it pairs with virtually anything from seafood to beef; it even makes cocktails!


Il Cedro (IT)

La tradizione di utilizzare il cedro nella gastronomia è antichissima e risale al tempo dei romani, con Apicio che nel suo De re coquinaria ci racconta alcune ricette aromatizzate al cedro.
Utilizzato come pregevole candito, piuttosto che come aroma per creme o dissentanti bevande, o ancora come gusto per granite, nel tempo è riuscito ad inserirsi in tante, particolari ricette, dai primi ai secondi, sia di carne che di pesce, per le sue particolari proprietà organolettiche, che esaltano i cibi inebriandoli di un profumo insuperabile!


Il Cedro e le sue Proprietà (IT)





Cherimoya (Engl)

Also referred to as the custard apple, these heart-shaped fruits have a green textured skin that's not meant for eating.

Star Fruit aka Carambola  (Engl)

Also known as a carombola, the star fruit has a waxy, yellow-green skin and lots of interesting angles -- five of them actually. Lovers of warm climates, these tropical wonders have long been cultivated throughout Southeast Asia and are now grown in south Florida and Hawaii. 

Calamansi - Calamondin (Engl)

Calamondin, a native citrus plant in the Philippines and China, is cultivated in Southeast Asia and elsewhere as an important crop. In the U.S. and Europe.


Calamondin halves or quarters may be served with iced tea, seafood and meats, to be squeezed for the acid juice. They were commonly so used in Florida before limes became plentiful. Some people boil the sliced fruits with cranberries to make a tart sauce. Calamondins are also preserved whole in sugar syrup, or made into sweet pickles, or marmalade. A superior marmalade is made by using equal quantities of calamondins and kumquats. In Hawaii, calamondin-papaya marmalade is popular. In Malaya, the calamondin is an ingredient in chutney. Whole fruits, fried in coconut oil with various seasonings, are eaten with curry. The preserved peel is added as flavoring to other fruits stewed or preserved.

In the Philippines, the calamondin is squeezed for its juice and added to pansit, arroz caldo, goto, over charcoal-grilled fish, pork or beef, and is an important ingredient in many dipping sauces. When used as a condiment, the juice is often mixed with fish sauce or soy sauce for that indescribable sour-salty taste.



TEN of the Most Exotic Tropical Fruits on Earth (Engl) (Link)


http://www.itsnature.org/what-on-earth/10-of-the-most-exotic-tropical-fruits-on-earth/



Cashew Apple (Engl)

Naranjilla - Lulo (Engl)

Uses:

 The Naranjilla fruit is harvested when fully ripe to avoid the fruit becoming sour. The juice of the naranjillas is green. The juicy, flavorful, slightly acid pulp is used for beverages and as an ingredient for sherbets.


Most popular consumption of naranjillas is in juices and is also made into wine. Ripe naranjillas, freed of hairs, may be casually consumed out-of-hand by cutting in half and squeezing the contents of each half into the mouth. The empty shells are discarded. The flesh, complete with seeds, may be squeezed out and added to ice cream mix, made into sauce for native dishes, or utilized in making pie and various other cooked desserts.


 (Solanum quitoense)

Tamarillo (Engl)

Tamarillo also known as ‘Tree Tomato’, is egg shaped. Tamarillo is native to Peru, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia. The skin is thin and differs from being red, golden to amber. In golden/amber tamarillo’s the flesh is yellowish. In red and amber coloured tamarillo’s, the pulp is light to dark red. The flesh of the tamarillo is tangy and mildly sweet, and may be compared to kiwifruit, tomato, or passion fruit. The seeds in the centre of the fruit are small and edible.


Granadilla (Engl)

The Granadilla belongs to the family of passiflora and grows to a climber. Granadilla is native to South America and has a strong but fragile, orange skin. The fruit has the shape and size of a plum. The shell is hard and shiny. The fruit contains a yellow, jelly-like pulp with a scattering of black edible seeds. The fruit has a sweet and sour flavour.


Babaco (Engl)

Babaco is related to the papaya. Babaco is native to the Andes of northwestern South America from Colombia south to central Chile. The fruit grows in bunches on the stem of the babaco tree. Babaco has a cylinder-like shape. The skin is yellow and the fruit has juicy yellow flesh without seeds. The taste is fresh and sweet and can be defined as a combination of strawberry and melon. The fruits are smaller than the papaya, broad pear-shaped, blunt and more aromatic than the papaya.



Tomatillo (Engl)

Tomatillo is related to the tomato and is native to Mexico and Central America. The fruit resembles a small unripe tomato and is usually green or yellow. The yellow colour indicates ripeness, but tomatillo’s are most often used when they are still green. The fruit is covered in a husk. Tomatillo’s flesh is full of small seeds and has a sweet/sour flavour.


Salak - Snake Fruit (Engl)

Miracle Fruit (Engl)

Egg Fruit (Engl)

Chocolate Pudding Fruit - Black Sapote (Engl)

Often ice cream is made of Black Sapotes.
The raw fruit is eaten with a spoon or eaten as dessert in milk or citrus juice.
Many different drinks are made from it as well as liquor.
Unripe fruits are not edible.
Use them in dips or sliced for a healthy chocolate-like dessert.


Acai Berry (Engl)

Kiwano - Horned Melon (Engl)

Surinam Cherries (Engl)

Pepino Melon (Engl)

Solanum muricatum, Solanaceae

The fruit of a plant originally from Peru. The pepino has an orange or yellowish flesh holding edible seeds. The flesh is a little mealy and slightly sweeter than the melon.



The Golden Egg Tree - Edible Eggs (Engl)


The Golden Egg Tree was named for its egg-shaped fruit, which closely resemble the goose's golden eggs. It is a tropical plant that can grow as tall as three feet and produces between ten and fifty white and yellow edible egg-shaped fruits.


The Golden Egg Tree is also known as solanum melongena in the Ovigerum variety. Its classification is an ornamental eggplant, and is part of the family Solanaceae, or nightshade family. The Solanaceae family includes potatoes eggplants and tomatoes.

Lucuma (Engl)

Lucuma is a delicately flavored tropical fruit native to the cool highlands of coastal valleys in Peru. With its high nutritional value, it has been an important crop since ancestral times, proven by the many ceramic remains from the Moche and later Inca cultures alluding to this great fruit. In fact, it was once referred to as the Gold of the Incas. It’s tasty flavor and aroma are hard to describe or compare to any other. Some may say it tastes like caramel custard and others a bit like pumpkin. Its texture, unlike most fruits, is dry, quite starchy and with a paste-like consistency that melts in your mouth.


Documentary film produced by Navitas Naturals that shows how and where Lucuma is grown, cultivated, processed, and packaged.

Camu Camu Berry (Engl)


 

(Curuba - Passiflora Tripartita)

(Salmonberry)

(Fresh Figs)

(Dried Figs)

(Pittaya)

(Snakefruit-Salak)

(Watermelon Radish)

(Gac Fruit)

(Pineberry)

(Black Sapote)

(Akebi)

(Jaboticaba)