You've Seen These Uncommon Fruits. Here's What To Do With Them
Grocery shopping with my
children can be a game of dodgeball as they try to sneak in things I prefer not
to buy, but on a recent trip to the grocery store, my second-grader picked up a
dragon fruit and asked me what it was. After I answered, she dove for a litchi,
then a persimmon, then examined several other fruits uncommon to many Americans
that seemed to be huddled at the back of the produce section.
Instead of saying no to
her request, as I might have if sugary cereal or chocolate doughnuts were her ask,
I bought one of several often-overlooked fruits and brought them home as an
experiment.
I knew what to do with a
persimmon, as I have sliced them on a cheese plate and mashed them for baby
food. We have blended dragon fruit into our smoothies, and star fruit is always
a hit because the shape is so appealing to kids. Yet I have to admit, the
litchi and the kiwano melon were going to nudge me right out of my comfort
zone.
My daughter and I
studied each of these kid-friendly fruits, delving into their unique flavors,
their unexpected usages and their undeniable nutrition. Later that night, she
played a game with her teenage brothers, asking them to match each
quirky-looking fruit to its fun facts. They never would have played that game
with me, but they generously indulged her, and our experiment went down as a
win.
Persimmon
Fun facts:
The national fruit of
Japan (though it originated in China), persimmons are in season from September
through December, making them regulars in holiday cooking. During the fall
harvest, some people attempt to predict upcoming winter weather by peeking at the
pattern inside persimmon seeds. If the pattern resembles a fork, it will be a
mild season. A spoon suggests a snowy winter, and a knife indicates bitter cold
and wind that will cut like a knife. There are two types of persimmons: the
hachiya, which is shaped like an acorn and is bitter before ripening, and the
fuyu, which is sweet, round and usually seedless. Buy this latter variety and
eat when it's firm but not hard.
Nutrition:
One persimmon provides
55 percent of the recommended daily vitamin A, 21 percent of the recommended
daily vitamin
C, fiber, B vitamins, other minerals such as manganese, copper, and
phosphorous, and phytonutrients, antioxidants and flavonoids to help prevent cancer.
Ways to serve:
Chop the crisp, sweet
flesh to include in a lunch box, eat like an apple (peeling is optional), make
a mozzarella (or any kind of cheese) and persimmon sandwich, top a bowl of ice
cream, add to salads, mash into baby food once a baby is 8 to 10 months old,
add color to a cheese plate, bake in muffins, or make into a chutney.
Star fruit (carambola)
Fun facts:
When cut crosswise, this
fruit looks like a star, hence its name. Star fruit, which is native to parts
of Southeast Asia, tastes similar to a grape. The larger varieties tend to be
sweeter, and the entire fruit is edible, skin and all. Star fruit are ripe when
they are vibrant yellow; if brown spots appear, pop it in the refrigerator. The
few seeds are edible or can be discarded.
Nutrition:
One star fruit provides
76 percent of the recommended daily vitamin C, in
addition to fiber, potassium, copper and B vitamins.
Ways to serve:
Slice star fruit for a
snack or add to a lunch box, blend into smoothies, chop for chutney or salsa,
add color and interest to a fruit salad, or give sweetness and appeal to leafy
green salads.
Dragon fruit (pitaya)
Fun facts:
Dragon fruit, believed
to be native to Central America, are technically part of the cactus species,
yet look like a smaller, softer, pinker pineapple. This fruit is mildly sweet,
described by my daughter as a mix of a kiwi and watermelon. It is ripe when
firm but not hard. The pink-fleshed fruits tend to be higher in nutrients and a
bit sweeter than the white-fleshed ones. Pitaya trees produce fruit multiple
times a year, yet the flower blooms just once a year, and only at night, so it
is quite a spectacle.
Nutrition:
One dragon fruit
provides phytonutrients, antioxidants and flavonoids, B vitamins, 15 percent of
the daily recommended vitamin C, iron and calcium.
Ways to serve:
Slice lengthwise, then
quarter, and peel off and discard the skin. You can eat the black seeds along
with the flesh. Chill it, then chop into cubes or shape with a melon baller for
a fruit salad. Frozen dragon fruit pieces for smoothies are found in many grocery
stores.
Litchi (lychee)
Fun facts:
These fruits, which
originated in southern China, have a tough, bumpy skin that is easily peeled to
reveal a white fleshy fruit much like a peeled grape. Litchi fruits have one
inedible seed. Litchi trees are high-producing, with one Florida tree yielding
a record-breaking 1,200 pounds of fruit in one year.
Nutrition:
One half-cup of the
fruit provides more than 100 percent of the daily recommended vitamin C, plus
fiber, antioxidants, flavonoids, high levels of B vitamins, potassium and phosphorous.
Litchi can be an allergen.
Ways to serve:
Chop into a salad, or
use to flavor drinks such as iced tea or margaritas.
Kiwano (horned melon)
Fun facts:
When ripe, this spiked
fruit, native to Africa, is bright orange on the outside. On the inside, it is
slimy green, much like a kiwi - but with a taste more similar to a banana with
a hint of cucumber. It appeals to kids because of its alien appearance. To eat,
cut it in half and scoop out the middle. The seeds are edible like cucumber
seeds, as is the skin. Do not refrigerate.
Nutrition:
A cup of kiwano melon
has almost as much protein as one tablespoon of peanut butter, plus vitamin C,
iron, potassium and lesser amounts of phosphorous, zinc, magnesium,
calcium and copper.
Ways to serve:
Toss on salads, or blend
and add to smoothies, salad dressings and drinks.
(Source
The Washington Post)
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