Unlike plumcots, which are simple plum x apricot crosses, Apriums were developed through intricate hybridizing, requiring several generations of crosses to create these relatively new fruits. The complex, intense flavor of the Aprium is unique, much like a blend of fruit juices where the sum is better than the parts. Additionally, the Aprium’ s sugar…
Cape Gooseberries were introduced to England in the eighteenth century but seem to have been known to the Greeks as early as the third century AD. The early settlers in South Africa cultivated Cape Gooseberries in the Cape of Good Hope, giving rise to one theory on how they acquired their name. Cape Gooseberries (physalis,…
Cherimoya is native to South America and the West Indies, and grows on shrubs belonging to the Annona species. Inside the scaly yellowish green skin, the fruit has creamy white, custard-like flesh with a sweet-sour flavor reminiscent of pineapples and bananas, and large black seeds. Cherimoya flesh makes a delicious fruit sauce when blended with…
A Cocktail Avocado is a delightful little gift of nature that occurs without warning as a result of genetic factors and sudden changes in climate. This small, seedless avocado shows up most often in the greenskin variety, Fuerte. Although difficult to peel, Cocktail Avocado are cute and tasty when sliced into rounds as a garnish…
These shiny scarlet berries are grown in huge, sandy bogs on low, trailing vines. Cranberries grow wild in northern Europe and in the northern climes of North America, where they are also extensively cultivated, mainly in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Washington and Oregon. Historians and culinary anthropologists still consider how cranberry sauce became a staple of the…
In 1915, Californian Everett K. DaVall developed two new Date varieties with the help of the Coachella Valley Agricultural Extension Station staff. To this day, his grandson, Everett, grows the same two Dates Empress and Honey. Both have exceptional flavor but have their own personalities. The Empress is perfect for stuffing its texture is somewhat…
Red Dragon Fruit, originally known as Pitahaya, is native to Central America, and is grown in the dryer tropic climates of Asia and the Americas. The fruit is related to the Cactus Pear, and grows on a vine-like member of the cactus family. Dragon Fruit cultivars have flesh of various colors: white, pink and the…
Indigenous to China, the Loquat is a subtropical fruit that is available from California from March to June. Growers in Chile have planted Golden Nugget variety Loquat trees, and now, thanks to our neighbors in the southern hemisphere, we have Loquats in winter. The Golden Nugget Loquat is large and ovoid, with succulent, tangy-sweet, orange…
Hachiya Persimmons are quite soft, almost squishy, when completely ripe and have a smooth, creamy testure and a tangy-sweet flavor. If eaten even slightly underripe, they will pucker the mouth with an incredible astringency. Persimmons that are not quite ripe can be ripened at room temperature. Great in a multitude of baked good and other…
This dry fruit is so special, Slow Food has accepted Hoshigaki into their Ark of Taste. From the Slow Food USA website: ” Hoshigaki are persimmons that are peeled and dried whole over a period of several weeks through a combination of hanging and delicate hand-massaging, until the sugars contained in the fruit form a…
These are the very best Medjools we have found. Grown by a small farmer in California’ s Coachella Valley, these Medjools are large, rich, meaty, and super sweet with a smooth texture…everything a Medjool is supposed to be! Absolutely gorgeous amenity!
Also known as Spanish Sweet Pomegranates, the Paper Shell Pomegranate variety is named for its very thin shell. Very juicy and sweet, and seldom seen commercially, the Paper Shell Pomegranate’s arils are a lovely blush pink or white and they have lower acid than red Pomegranates so they taste even sweeter than the red varieties….
This beautiful fruit, with its smooth golden skin heavily streaked with purple, is sometimes called a ‘tree melon’. Native to Peru, the Pepino is a relative of the tomato, Potato and Eggplant family (Solanacae), but looks rather like a Melon. The pale yellow flesh is quite tart, with a flavor suggestive of Lemon, Pineapple and…
These small sized, tree ripe Fuyu Persimmons have outstanding texture, very high sugar and are perfect for amenities.
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Also known as Chinese broccoli or Chinese kale, this brassica grows up to three feet high and forms strong stems, glossy, blue-green leaves, and flowers like broccoli. An everyday vegetable throughout Asia, it is cultivated mostly for these fleshy stems, the young and tender leaves and the unopened flowers. This vegetable is often compared to…
A rhizome with a hot, ginger-peppery flavor, GALANGA ROOT is used primarily as a seasoning. Also known as Thai ginger (it is a member of the ginger family), it has translucent golden skin, slightly ridged rings around the root, and a creamy white-flesh. The pale pink shoots of the tender young rhizome are even more…
In Western countries, CHRYSANTHEMUMS are Mother’s Day flowers. In China and Japan, they are part of the culture. Fresh chrysanthemum petals are sprinkled into soups or over steamed dishes. Chrysanthemum petals may be added to soups shortly before serving as overcooking makes them bitter.
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Originally from India, eggplants are now distributed throughout almost every tropical, subtropical, and temperate climatic zone. This perennial member of the nightshade family, which is grown commercially only as an annual, bears 8s up to 1 foot in length, 2-5 inches in diameter, and up to 1 1/4 pounds in weight. While oval, dark purple…