tropical fruit

Tropical fruit taste test: Marian plum

April 9, 2012

It’s been a long time since I’ve reviewed a new tropical fruit on this blog. If you’re new to Life in Arabia in the last year, you might want to catch up on all the bizarre fruits we’ve reviewed. I saw this new fruit in the grocery store and I couldn’t pass it up. It’s [...]

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Tropical Fruit Taste Test: Snake fruit

February 18, 2010
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Origin: Salak, or snake fruit, is cultivated in Indonesia and Malaysia, but ours came from Thailand. (Nicole, that one was for you. ) Snake fruit grows in clumps near the bottom of short palm-like trees. Snake fruit has few discernable nutritional qualities, although folklore in Thailand attributes snake fruit with magical properties. Comments: Snake fruit [...]

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Tropical Fruit Taste Test: Longan

February 4, 2010
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Origin: Longan is from East Asia, and most of the world’s longan is produced in China. Ours came from Thailand. In Chinese the longan fruit is called the word for “dragon eye” because it looks like a freaky eyeball when you peel it. Longan is considered “the poorer cousin” of the lychee (review coming soon). [...]

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Tropical Fruit Taste Test: Kaki

December 31, 2009
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Origin: Kaki is native to China and has been successfully cultivated in other tropical places like California and Brazil. Kaki grows on a deciduous tree that also supplies ebony wood. Comments: The guy at the grocery store assured my friend that this fruit was sweet. He also warned not to eat it until a few [...]

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Tropical Fruit Taste Test: Physalis

November 22, 2009
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by Guest Reviewer – Joanna Samson Origin: Physalis is also called groundcherry or Cape Gooseberry. This fruit is native to the Americas (not just the States), but is commonly grown in subtropical areas like South Africa. The Chinese have used this fruit to cure abscesses and other minor maladies. Physalis is considered a hallucinogenic plant [...]

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Tropical Fruit Taste Test: Quince

November 16, 2009
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Origin: This quince is from Turkey, and Turkey is supposed to be the world’s top producer in quince. Quince is second cousins with apple and pear. Butterflies and moths also eat quince (as evidenced by this specimen). Quince has a lot of history both in the real world and in mythology. Comments: Gritty and sour. [...]

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Tropical Fruit Taste Test: Custard Apple

October 14, 2009
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Origin: The custard apple is native to the tropics. Ours came from Malaysia, where lots of good fruit comes from. The label actually said “booah nona,” which is what made me pick this fruit. It just sounded fun. The grocer said it’s English name is Bull’s Heart. I read somewhere that the leaf juice kills [...]

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