Posted on May 25th, 2009 by admin
Produced from the same tree as the cashew nut, the cashew apple is a false fruit. What appears to be the fruit of the cashew tree is an oval or pear-shaped accessory fruit or false fruit that develops from the receptacle of the cashew flower. Called the cashew apple, better known in Central America as “jocote de marañón”, it ripens into a yellow and/or red structure about 5–11 cm long. It is edible, and has a strong “sweet” smell and a sweet taste. The pulp of the cashew apple is very juicy, but the skin is fragile, making it unsuitable for transport. It is often used as a flavour in agua fresca. A cashew apple fruit juice is produced commercially in South America.
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Posted on May 25th, 2009 by admin
The guava fruit is also often prepared as a dessert. In Asia, fresh raw guava is often dipped in preserved prune powder or salt. Because of the skin’s high level of pectin, boiled guava is also extensively used to make candies, preserves, jellies, jams, marmalades and also for juices and aguas frescas. Guava juice is very popular in Mexico, Colombia, Egypt and South Africa. Red guavas can be used as the base of salted products such as sauces, constituting a substitute for tomatoes, especially for those sensitive to the latter’s acidity. In Asia, a tea is made from guava fruits and leaves.
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Posted on May 25th, 2009 by admin
Cultivated in many tropical regions and distributed widely in the world, mango is one of the most extensively exploited fruits for food, juice, flavour, fragrance and colour, making it a common ingredient in new functional foods often called superfruits. Its leaves are ritually used as floral decorations at weddings and religious ceremonies. It is also the national fruit of India & the Philippines. A ripe mango is sweet, with a unique taste that nevertheless varies from variety to variety. The texture of the flesh varies between cultivars, some having a soft, pulpy texture similar to an over-ripe plum, while others have firmer flesh like a cantaloupe or avocado. In some cultivars, the flesh has a fibrous texture.
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Posted on May 25th, 2009 by admin
Pineapple is eaten fresh or canned and is available as a juice or in juice combinations. It is used in desserts, salads, as a complement to meat dishes and in fruit cocktail. While sweet, it is known for its high acid content. Pineapples are the only bromeliad fruit in widespread cultivation. Pineapple contains a proteolytic enzyme bromelain, which breaks down protein. Pineapple juice can therefore be used as a marinade and tenderizer for meat. The enzymes in pineapples can interfere with the preparation of some foods, such as jelly or other gelatin-based desserts. The bromelain breaks down in the canning process, thus canned pineapple can generally be used with gelatin.
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Posted on May 25th, 2009 by admin
There is a legend about Queen Victoria offering a reward to anyone who could deliver to her this fabled fruit. Due to ongoing restrictions on imports, mangosteen is not readily available in certain countries. Although available in Australia, for example, they are still rare in the produce sections of grocery stores in North America and Europe. Following export from its natural growing regions in Southeast Asia, the fresh fruit may be available seasonally in some local markets like those of Chinatowns. Mangosteen and its related products, such as juices and nutritional supplements, are legally imported into the United States, which had an import ban until 2007.
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