"TropicalFruit" news and stories

While tamarind paste has been available in Asian markets for a long time, it's exciting to see fresh tamarinds popping up more frequently in produce sections. The woody outer pods are brittle and don't travel well, so the offerings in grocery stores usually aren't very pretty. Even if the pods are broken, what you want to look for is mahogany-colored flesh that doesn't look pale or dried out. Also, check the outer shell for tiny holes (see below), as bugs are fond of laying eggs in tamarind pods. The flavor of tamarind is similar to a dried apricot, but more tart. Once the meat has been removed from the pods and stripped of its veins, it can be boiled, seeded, sweetened with sugar, and diluted for a great cold drink. Tamarinds are also a key ingredient in pad Thai recipes. Alton Brown recently made a good version of it, similar to the Cook's Illustrated version I usually make. Boiling, mashing and straining three or four large tamarinds usually works for the ounce or two of tamarind paste that the recipes call for.

[Photos: Nick Vagnoni]

The papaya is easily one of the prettiest and most eye-catching tropical fruits widely available today. Whenever I have people over for brunch I try to set one out. The limes aren't just there for decoration, either. The acidity of the lime juice compliments the melon-like sweetness of the papaya perfectly. The variety here is likely a Mexican Red papaya, which is much larger than the pear-sized Hawaiian varieties. Some say the latter are more intensely flavored, but for my time and effort, the larger varieties are the way to go. They yield much more meat, are easier to peel and serve and, of course, make for a very impressive presentation. When ripe, a papaya will be mostly yellow on the outside and yield slightly to the touch. Remember, the lime juice is key. Papayas also contain an enzyme called papain, which supposedly settles the stomach and helps all sorts of digestive ailments.

[Photo: Nick Vagnoni]

Photo: Nick Vagnoni

Driving back from Key West last week I made a point to stop in at Robert Is Here in Florida City. For those not familiar, Robert Is Here is a tropical fruit stand and milkshake shop that sits amid plots of farmland just a few miles from the entrance to one of the everglades state parks. On this visit, I bought a few Kent mangoes (some of the best I’ve ever tasted), some manzano bananas, and two sugar apples, the larger of which you see here.

Describing tropical fruit is always tough, especially since some of the less common ones tend to taste like composites of more familiar fruits. The sugar apple, for instance, reminds me of a cross between bananas, vanilla, and rosewater. It has an immediate sweetness, but also a more subdued perfume-y character. The small segments are soft and slippery and each one hides a shiny black seed, similar to a watermelon seed, but fatter. The flesh near the scaly exterior has a coarse and grainy texture, which immediately reminded me of caramelized sugar or some sort of crumbly pie topping.

I’ve never tried to seek out sugar apples—also known as anon or cherimoya—outside of Florida, but if you see them, by all means, grab a few while you have the chance.