Monday, August 30, 2010

More Exotic Fruits

A few more fruits that are not readily available in the US, but I can find in the UAE in many grocery stores.

Bayabas or Guava - In the backyard of our home in the Philippines, my father grew different varieties of guavas. They ranged in size from a ping pong ball to a large grapefruit. The fruit is full of seeds. It can taste from tart to sweet, depending on the variety and ripeness. I had wandered many times in my childhood backyard in a quest for a quick snack of bayabas.



Langka or Jackfruit - A tasty and fragrant fruit. Langka is large, prickly on the outside. The first picture shows the fruit still unripe and not yet fully formed. To get to the tasty edible portion of the fruit, you have to remove other fruit flesh surrounding it and the seeds that are attached to it. The separation of the edible part can get your hands and fingers very sticky; you can not easily wash out the stickyness from your fingers. But you are rewarded with the aromatic, flavorsome, and sweet taste of the fruit. The second picture shows the edible portion. I purchased the langka that was already ready for eating, so I didn't have to go through all the mess of separating the edible flesh. The fruit is eaten as is, can be preserved in sweetened syrup, and is widely used in desserts.


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