What would you think of a creamy, custard-like fruit that tastes like a combination of banana, mango, pineapple, melon, and berries? The pawpaw—which is a native North American tree fruit—is just such a fruit. Sounds tropical, but the pawpaw is a temperate—meaning not tropical—tree that is native to the Mississippi Valley, a swath of the […] More
Trying to cut back on salt and pepper? Try savory. There are two varieties of the herb called savory to choose from: summer savory—a fast-growing annual plant, and winter savory—a shrubby perennial. Both savories have a bit of a peppery bite. Summer savory has a flavor reminiscent of thyme, mint, and marjoram. It is more […] More
Table grapes are most popular for eating out of hand, but they can also be added to fruit salads or compotes and desserts on the savory side added to green salads, sauces, curries, stews, and stuffing, or served alongside poultry, fish, and seafood, and wild game. Grapes can be broadly categorized as either table grapes […] More
The cherimoya is nothing less than a tropical dessert on the half shell. It has a tasty pineapple-papaya-banana-pear flavored treat that deserves its aliases “custard apple” and “sherbet fruit”. The cherimoya’s flesh is juicy and creamy custardy. The cherimoya is an odd-looking fruit. You would never guess what is inside. It is irregularly oval in […] More
Cooked quince has a sweet, delicate musky aroma with a flavor somewhere between an apple and a pear. Quince is often used in jams, jellies, and preserves. You can also use quince in cobblers or tarts or add it cubed to beef stew or roast poultry. The quince is not good to eat raw. Give […] More
The guava is a large plum-sized tropical fruit with yellow, red, or purple-black skin. Guava can be round or pear-shaped and look a bit like a quince. The guava stands 2 to 3 inches tall. Its sweet, aromatic flesh can be yellow or bright pink, or red and is moist and sometimes embedded with small, […] More
Fannie Farmer’s cookbook has been around since 1896. It gets to the essence of mango preparation when it suggests: “Cut in half lengthwise and remove the stone. Eat with a spoon.” The mango—many would say–is the world’s most delicious fruit. Its delicate flavor is a cross between a pear and an apricot. Or is that […] More
Apriums are juicy, sweet eating out of hand. An aprium is a hybrid fruit—¾ apricot and ¼ plum. The aprium is bright orange on the outside with just a hint of skin fuzz. Its bright orange flesh is dense and surrounds a stone similar to an apricot’s. The aprium is about the size of a […] More
The flesh of the pineapple is sweet and juicy and is best eaten raw in slices, wedges, or cubes. Pineapple harvest season The peak season for pineapple is late spring to mid-summer. How to choose pineapple Select a pineapple that is plump, large, heavy for its size, and slightly soft to the touch, with fresh […] More
Kumquats have a sweet rind and zesty tart flesh. You can eat them raw out of hand like a grape or slice them and toss them in a salad. Kumquats look like small oranges. They are seldom larger than 1¼ inches (3 cm) across, about the size of a quail’s egg. The rind is thick […] More
Cranberries are bright red to reddish-orange berries that grow to about ¾ inch in diameter. The cranberry plant is a low-growing trailing vine that grows best in low-lying sandy bogs. Cranberries are native to North America and northern Europe and take their name from the shape of their pale pink blossoms that resemble the heads […] More
The stalks of lemongrass are commonly used in the kitchen. Lemongrass is a subtropical plant. Lemongrass is flavorful fresh rather than dry. It is popular in Southeast Asian cookery. It can be used to season soups, vegetables, curries, poultry, shellfish, fish, and marinades. Use lemongrass to make herbal teas. Lemongrass is a member of the […] More
Stephen Albert