Читать книгу Handy Pocket Guide to Tropical Fruits - Wendy Hutton - Страница 6

Cashew Apple

Anacardium occidentale

Botanical Family: Anacardiaceae

Thai name: Mamuang-himma-phan

Malay name: Jambu monyet, jambu golok, gajus

Indonesian name: Jambu monyet, jambu mede

Filipino name: Kasoy, balubad

Everyone knows the excellent flavour of the cashew nut, but how many have tasted the juicy fruit of this plant, brought to Asia from tropical America by the Portuguese?

In fact, the true fruit is what is known everywhere as the nut, and the "fruit" sold for eating is a swollen stem.

The cashew tree is widely known in tropical Asia for its medicinal properties. All parts of the tree contain a sap which is irritant, including the thin membrane between the actual nut and its hard casing.

The cashew apple has a very thin skin—green when unripe and turning to yellow, pink, or more rarely, bright scarlet, when ripe. Because of its fragility, it is not a widely available "commercial" fruit. It can, however, be found at fruit stalls near cashew-growing regions. The slightly elongated fruit is about 7 cm (2 ½ inches) long, with an interior of white flesh. Eat the fruit only when fully ripe or it is unpleasantly astringent. The ripe fruit is sweet, crisp and juicy with a faint rose perfume.

Otaheite Apple

Spondias cytherea

Botanical Family: Anacardiaceae

Thai name: Ma-kok-farang

Malay name: Kedongdong

Indonesian name: Kedongdong

Filipino name: Hevi

This fruit is native to Southeast Asia, and is widely found in some Pacific Island countries (the name Otaheiti is the old name for Tahiti). It might be mistaken for a green-skinned mango, as it has the elongated shape of that fruit, as well as a similar resinous smell and smooth skin. It measures from 5 to 9 cm (approximately 3 ½ inches) and is sometimes called the ambarella.

Inside the Otaheiti apple there is a star-shaped central core with five small, pale green seeds; this is noticeable if the fruit is cut in horizontal slices.

The oval fruit has a relatively thick rind and the flesh inside is hard and crisp, with a tangy taste when still unripe. When ripe, however, the flavour can be quite good and tastes something like a mango-flavoured apple. Some varieties, however, are not sufficiently sweet to make good desserts, and for this reason the Otaheiti apple is often used in tangy sour salads, especially in Thailand and Indonesia.

Mango

Mangifera spp.

Botanical Family: Anacardiaceae

Thai name: Ma-muang

Malay name: Mangga

Indonesian name: Mangga

Filipino name: Mangang kalabau, mangga

There are dozens of varieties of mango family, varying in fragrance and flavour from sublime to unpleasant. Each country has developed its own varieties and a mango lover is hard-pressed to choose, say, between the very long, almost white-fleshed flower mango of Thailand, the small orange-fleshed Philippines mango dripping with sweet juice and the stronger-smelling and slightly sharp arumanis mango of Indonesia.

All these fruits are hybrids, as most of the varieties native to the region have somewhat stringy flesh with a sour, almost turpentine, flavour. These mangoes are generally made into a pickle or preserve.

The sap found in the leaves, stem and fruits of all types of mango is irritant and can cause a rash to those allergic to it; the Malaysian kuini is a particular culprit. Various parts of the mango—leaves, skin of the fruit, bark, seeds and resin—are used to treat many ailments, including diarrhoea and excessive bleeding.

Mangoes can be divided into two broad categories: those that are eaten green (unripe) and dessert mangoes enjoyed for their sweetness. Unripe mangoes are the perfect answer to the Asian love of sharp sour flavours. These fruit are peeled and eaten in salads or with savoury or chilli-hot dips; unripe mangoes are also cooked to make various pickles and chutney.

Dessert mangoes vary in size, skin colour and shape, some being fat, green-skinned and almost round, others being pale golden and slender, still others having a reddish tinge. All fruits have a large elongated seed inside and a non-edible skin.

Mango slices served with sweet sticky rice mixed with coconut cream are regarded as the ultimate dessert in Thailand and the Philippines. Their colour, texture and flavour combine well with milk products: mangoes make good ice-creams, yoghurts and souffles, but as they are so good fresh from the tree this is like gilding the lily.

Custard Apple

Annona squamosa

Botanical Family: Annonaceae

Thai name: Noi-na

Malay name: Nona sri kaya

Indonesian name: Srikaya

Tagalog name: Atis

Around nine varieties of this fruit, native to tropical America and introduced to tropical Asia several centuries ago, are cultivated around the world. Close relatives include the cherimoya (A. cherimola) and sugar apple (A. reticulata). The most commonly found Asian variety is quite small (about 8 cm or 3 inches in diameter). All fruits share the same distinctive appearance, with the skin composed of overlapping fleshy green "petals".

The interior has a very white sweet flesh, delicately flavoured with a hint of acidity, like its larger cousin, the soursop (A. muricata) (see page 13). The custard apple is full of small segments of flesh containing shiny black seeds.

It is important to eat the fruit at exactly the correct stage of ripeness. It should still be slightly firm, yielding to gentle pressure with the palms. Avoid any fruits which feel soft as they will be over-ripe and therefore somewhat floury in texture. Because of its juiciness, the custard apple is ideal for drinks or desserts such as sorbets.

Soursop

Annona muricata

Botanical Family: Annonaceae

Thai name: Thu-rian-khaek

Malay name: Durian belanda

Indonesian name: Sirsak

Filipino name: Guayabano

Although wedges of this tropical American native are sometimes served for eating with a spoon, most soursops in Southeast Asia are used to make juice or desserts such as mousse, ice-cream and jelly.

The slightly bumpy thin skin of this irregularly shaped fruit is green even when the fruit ripens. They are large, weighing in excess of 3 kg (7 lbs). Inside, the flesh is white and pulpy, full of shiny black seeds, with a central pithy core running its length. The soursop bruises easily when fully ripe, so buy it while still firm and wait until it yields slightly to gentle pressure. Then, eat it immediately.

The flavour of the soursop is somewhat acidic, but this is easily counteracted by adding sugar. It is refreshing, with a faint fragrance and an elusive but irresistible flavour. Soursop derives its name from the Dutch zuur zak or sour sack. Sop is an English word meaning something which soaks up liquid; as the flesh of the soursop is certainly saturated with juice, the name is not inappropriate.

Durian

Durio zibethinus

Botanical Family: Bombacaceae

Thai name: Thurian

Malay name: Durian

Indonesian name: Durian

Filipino name: Durian

The durian, Southeast Asia's most highly prized fruit, is also its most controversial because of the overpowering odour. It is the only fruit banned from airline cabins, hotels and some public transport.

Native to Southeast Asia, the fruit of the very tall durian tree is roughly the size and shape of a spiky football. Inside the tough skin are five white segments enclosing two or three portions of soft cream-coloured flesh, each wrapped around a single large beige seed. Both the flesh and the seed (after boiling) are edible.

The durian is surrounded by folklore. It is reputed to be an aphrodisiac (there's a Malay saying that when the durians are down, the sarongs are up). It is also claimed to be dangerous to drink alcohol when consuming durians. The Chinese believe the durian is very "heaty" to the body (but this doesn't stop them consuming vast numbers of them just like everyone else!).

The famous 19th-century naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, described the durian thus: "It is like a buttery custard flavoured with almonds, intermingled with wafts of flavour that call to mind cream-cheese, onion sauce, brown sherry, and other incongruities.... It is neither acid, nor sweet, nor juicy, yet one feels the want of none of these qualities for it is perfect as it is."

Durians should be eaten within hours of their falling or being harvested, and fruits which have split open should be avoided as the flesh deteriorates quickly when exposed to the air. Roadside stalls spring up near durian orchards or in special markets in towns during the season. Most durian lovers cannot wait to take the fruit home and ask the vendor to open it (usually with the aid of a pair of gloves and a strong knife) so they can devour it immediately.

Today's durians are almost all hybrids and each has its special characteristics. Durian is best consumed fresh, although inferior quality or over-ripe fruit is also cooked to make sweetmeats such as dodol or made into jam.

Pineapple

Ananas comosus

Botanical Family: Bromeliaceae

Thai name: Sappa-rot

Malay name: Nanas

Indonesian name: Nanas

Filipino name: piña

The pineapple, native to South America, is cultivated throughout tropical Asia. The name comes from the Spanish word for pine cone (piña), which the fruit vaguely resembles with its scaly skin. Ripe pineapples have a juicy sweet flesh with just a hint of acidity to make them even more refreshing. Pineapple is not only good raw or cooked in savoury dishes, it also makes good pickles, chutney and jam, as well as delicious juice.

Several types of pineapple are found in the region. Some are grown only for ornamental use, their decorative leaves making them a popular pot plant. Small varieties that tend to be somewhat acid, or unripe fruits, are used as a vegetable or in sour fruit salads—and also made into pineapple curry. Freshly peeled and sliced ripe pineapple is found everywhere in the region. If buying a whole fruit, check that it is ripe by smelling to see if it is fragrant and try to tear one of the leaves sprouting from the top. If it comes away easily, the fruit is ready to eat.

Papaya

Carica papaya

Botanical Family: Caricaceae

Thai name: Ma-la-kaw

Malay name: Betik

Indonesian name: Papaya

Filipino name: Papaya