strange fruits

This time of year, purveyors of <a href=/articles/2016/04/6-ideas-for-your-csa>fresh produce</a> are likely awash in berries and <a href=/articles/2014/08/heirloom-tomato-and-grilled-peach-salad>stone fruit</a>, a fact for which we are eternally grateful. However, something we are increasingly curious about are the types that seem a tad strange and forbidding. Global trade in produce has brought to the U.S. market <a href=/articles/2016/07/exotic-varieties-mushrooms>previously unavailable varieties</a>. Here's a primer: <img src=https://furthermore-cdn.equinox.com/2016/07/strange-fruit/jackfruit.jpg> JackfruitIts meaty texture and musky, sweet flavor makes it a viable substitute for meat (season with barbecue spices and it’s a ringer for pulled pork). It contains about 95 calories per 1 cup serving, as well as protein, vitamins B and C, fiber. Don’t toss its seeds; boil or roast them for a peel-and-eat snack. <img src=https://furthermore-cdn.equinox.com/2016/07/strange-fruit/prickly-pear.jpg> Prickly PearThe fruit of the nopales cactus contains a fuschia-colored flesh that has the crunch of a pear and the flavor and sweetness of bubble gum (in a good way). Remove the rind and eat the fruit and hard-but-edible seeds, or press the fruit through a food mill and use the purée in smoothies, sauces, or cocktails. <img src=https://furthermore-cdn.equinox.com/2016/07/strange-fruit/cherimoya.jpg> Cherimoya (a.k.a. Soursop)Primarily cultivated in Spain and Central America, this fruit has been slow to catch on in the US. Numerous dark seeds dot the tart-sweet and creamy flesh that's a cross between a banana and apple. Halve or quarter and spoon out the flesh. Let the fruit melt in your mouth, then spit out the seeds (like those of a watermelon, but bigger). One cherimoya contains 7 grams of fiber, nearly half your daily value of vitamin C, plus vitamin B6, potassium and <a href=http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24337133>antioxidants</a>. <img src=https://furthermore-cdn.equinox.com/2016/07/strange-fruit/horned-melon.jpg> Kiwano (a.k.a. Horned Melon)A relative of the cucumber, this armored fruit is easy to love, once you know how to eat it. Halve lengthwise, exposing a center filled with tart seeds and jelly-like—almost chia seed pudding-esque—pulp. Spoon out and eat, or serve alongside grilled meat and summer salads.<img src=https://furthermore-cdn.equinox.com/2016/07/strange-fruit/mangosteen.jpg>MangosteenPeel back its hard, reddish shell to reveal a creamy, off-white flesh containing notes of caramel, grass and butter. It grows in tropical climates and has become available fresh in the U.S. <a href=http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-mangosteen-most-delicious-fruit-on-earth20130829-story.html target=_blank>only since 2007</a>. Eat the slippery segments with a fork, spitting out the bitter seeds as you go.

Have you seen these fruits?

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