Sweet Eats

The heat and humidity have descended upon us here in the midwest, and summer has officially arrived. Along with the heat come images and tastes of summer.

Swimming.
Barbecues.
Camp.
Fireflies.
Beer.
Flip flops.
Fruit.

Sampling the fruits of exotic destinations is one of the best parts of traveling. Sure, you can stick with watermelon, bananas and papaya, but why not venture outside of your safety zone? You may bite into a hidden gem that you realize you cannot live without once you return home; or you may bite into a real stinker (literally!), that you try once for posterity and swear you will never try again.

Here are some memorable fruits I've sampled while traveling that are worth a try:

1. Mangosteen

Mangosteen is my all time favorite! You must sample this one, and no, it is not a mango. The hard, purple casing of this fruit is deceiving, and a little bit difficult to remove. But once you crack that exterior, it gives way to a soft, supple, slippery but sweet fruit that is divided into sections like an orange. The larger sections usually contain a seed. This is melt-in-your-mouth goodness in a small package. On a business trip to Hong Kong, I found some mangosteen at the market and insisted that my colleagues sample this gem. They all looked at me like I was crazy, but changed their minds as soon as the first bite hit their taste buds.

2. Jackfruit

Do not confuse jackfruit with durian (see #3, below). Jackfruit is not as prickly as a durian, and is also typically larger than a durian. And much less stinky! Jackfruit is sticky and so can be difficult to cut, but once you make your way into the middle of a jackfruit, you will see small pods that look like seeds surrounded by the flesh of the fruit. This flesh is the edible part of the jackfruit. You can eat it raw when it is ripe, its taste and texture a bit sweet and starchy. Unripe jackfruit is commonly cooked and used as a meat substitute, and I have very fond memories of a jackfruit curry with rice that I bought from a street vendor in Indonesia.

3. Durian

There is a reason that this bad boy has been banned from some establishments and modes of transportation in South East Asia. Its aroma is so strong, you can always detect when durian is in the vicinity. The sharp, spiky exterior gives way to a mushy, custard-like interior that some say smells like dirty socks, and some say smells like heaven. I can only describe the flavor as a stringy, marshmallow-textured, onion-flavored custard. You have to try it at least once!

4. Rambutan

 

Do you like your fruit hairy? I guess it's not that different than a peach, right? The Malaysian word "rambut" means hair, hence the name. Peel that hairy exterior to reveal the sweet and slippery globe of fruit on the inside. You can pop the whole refreshing thing into your mouth, and spit out the seed when you are done. Delicious, and portable, these guys have accompanied me on many a long, hot bus ride through the jungle.

5. Lychee

Looks a lot like a rambutan, right? Minus the hair. Lychees have a rough, textured rind that is more pink than red. If you bite off a small piece of the rind, near the stem, you can pop the fruit right out of the rind and into your mouth. Like a rambutan, it has a smooth, white pulp, similar in texture to a grape, but has a more perfumy flavor than a rambutan. You can use lychees as your beer nuts (or make a lychee martini)! Delish.

6. Starfruit

Carambola is the true name of this fruit, but you can see why it has adopted its nickname. Starfruit has edible, waxy skin that gives way to crunchy and juicy flesh. The entire fruit is edible, and is sweet and sour and tart all at the same time. Look for fruit that is not too green, because unripe starfruit is extremely sour! This one may not be for everyone, but it is worth a try, and its juiciness was a great pick-me-up while I was sweating my way through Indonesia.

7. Dragon fruit

Poor dragon fruit gets a bad rap. It looks sexy and exotic and interesting, but I'm not sure the flavor lives up to those expectations. While it appears to have thorns, the dragon fruit is not actually prickly and won't harm you. It has sweet, soft flesh and seeds on the inside, sort of like a kiwi. Unfortunately, the taste is a little bit bland and flavorless, so while this one isn't quite the full package, it's worth a try.

Enjoy your summer eats, and if you have an exotic favorite that can't be missed, please share.