Fruits
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Dragonfruit
(a.k.a. Pitaya) Finally, a fruit worthy of a Star Trek set! Seriously - with the red, spiky exterior and black dotted white pulp*, this thing looks positively alien. Surprisingly easy to peel, dragon fruits are sometimes compared to kiwis - but I personally found the taste milder. Not bland per se...just really subtle, resulting in an interesting snack while walking through the streets of Chinatown. Since I'm a hardcore sweet fanatic, I wasn't bowled over. But on the day that I sampled three fruits (dragonfruit, mangosteens and jackfruit), I liked the dragonfruit best by far. On top of that, Wikipedia states that these babies are low in calories, and high in nutrients. 'Nuff said. Would I try again? Yes - not sweet enough for me to seek it out...but it was a very pleasant snack. Where I found it: Canal Street. * Available in alternate colors: including pink fleshed, and yellow skinned varieties. |
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Durian - The
King of Fruit
- Indonesian Almost everything you read will claim how stinky and offensive the durian is - and how tasty it is to a select few. The Durian is huge and spiky, and you can find it hanging outside almost all the Chinatown groceries (frozen for the trip overseas, then thawed.). According to the websites, it's so smelly that it's outlawed in most public areas of Indonesia, like hotel rooms and buses. I've tried it. You crack it open along a natural dividing line, and scoop out the pulp that's around the five or so seeds in the segmented interior. You don't eat the rind. The pulp is creamy, and tastes like vanilla custard. I don't find the smell so bad (although granted my sense of smell is limited.) It was a good experience, and I'd *love* to try a fermented durian dessert called "Tempoyak" - if only I could find it. Would I try again? Sure - it's yummy, although not worth "crossing the ocean", as some have claimed. Links for further information: Durian Online Where I found it: You can't walk through Chinatown without having a Durian fall on you. Phil says: "If you love a Durian, set
it free.
If it comes to you, it is yours. If it does not, it probably
landed
on someone and killed them. Run." |
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Jackfruit A large spiky fruit very similar in appearance to Durian. But there the similarity ends. Because despite a common smell, the jackfruit has none of the Durian's appeal...no vanilla flavor, no custardy-creamy texture. Just bland, rubbery and ...blech. I imagine that it might be better cooked, and admittedly I ate mine raw. But I doubt I'll be experimenting any further with this one. Gimme a Durian, or gimme death. (Or Jackfruit, which is pretty much equivalent.) Would I try again? Maybe cooked, but I'm not seeking it out. Where I found it: Canal Street. |
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Longan About grape size, with a hard shell. You peel and eat. Not much to report - it's sweet, but nothing special. Sorry, Longan. Would I try again? Not worth the cost. Where I found it: On the street |
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Lychees
They come in a hard, slightly spiky red shell. Inside, they're extremely juicy, and sweet, with a long brown pit in the center. They taste somewhat like strawberry, although there are distinct hard to explain differences in the taste. All in all, a nice fruit to try. Would I try again? They aren't different enough to merit a special trip, so...no. Where I found it: On the street,
everywhere. |
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Mangosteens
The Queen of fruit, so they say- second only to the Durian. Recently allowed in the US, these golf ball sized fruits sport a hard shell (a little tough to cut into), covering several small white segments of flesh/fruit pulp. A little on the sweet side and pleasant. But not amazing, and not much to eat per Mangosteen. They're also rather expensive (at least as of this writing.) So were they worth the wait? For me, nah. Would I try again? No. Where I found it: On Canal street |
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Papaya - Ubiquitous It's not really necessary to introduce Americans to Papaya, but it was worthy of quick mention. Available everywhere. Sweet, delicious, a little lacking in the portability department. A refreshing ingredient in alot of desserts and bubble teas! Would I try again? Sure! Where I found it: Aw,
heck. Go to your
local Stop N' Shop. |
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Rambutan Related to the Lychee - this fruit is red with a prickly looking outside. Inside, it's a subtly sweet white pulp - not particularly strong, but nice in it's own way. Not an incredible wow, but nice. Would I try again? If someone gave me some.... Where I found it: On the streets of Chinatown. |
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Tamarind - Indonesia
A curved brown pea pod, found throughout Southeast Asia and the West Indies. Tamarind paste is used in alot of curries and drinks. I haven't tried it fresh, or in a drink yet - but I've have had preserved Tamarinds. The shell is hard like a peanut, and the fruit is this long alien looking pod with stringy connections to the shell. Kind of sour tasty, and I really couldn't get over the alien stringy look. They were also somewhat expensive. But I'll try a drink when I finally find one. Would I try again? No. Where I found it: Unfortunately
for this
website, I found mine in the Bronx, on the corner of Bainbridge and
205th.
Sorry! |
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