Asian Fruit and Veg -- A Glossary -- Please Contribute

[Celticevergreen]

Yuzu



The Yuzu is native to East Asia and the fruit looks a bit like a very small grapefruit with an uneven skin, and can be either yellow or green depending on the degree of ripeness. Originally from Central China and Tibet, this frost-hardy citrus was introduced to Korea and Japan during the Tang Dynasty.

It is rarely eaten as a fruit, though in the Japanese cuisine its aromatic outer rind is used to garnish some dishes, and its juice is commonly used as a seasoning, somewhat like the way the lemon is used in other cuisines. Koreans make a marmalade type product used for a herbal remedy for the common cold and similar winter illnesses.

[Leggy Peggy]

Good one, Celticevergreen! I had never heard of yuzu.

[Rinshinomori]

Leggy Peggy wrote:
Good one, Celticevergreen! I had never heard of yuzu.

It's in my backyard! Yuzu is much, much more aromatic than lemons or limes which I also have in my yard.......we do live in the fruit basket of the US. Our area was mostly all orchards before it changed to hi tech.

[Leggy Peggy]

Nona, you'll have to point it out to me next time I'm there.

[Leggy Peggy]

Silly double post. Note to self. Be more patient.

[Celticevergreen]

Bitter Melon



Also known as Bitter Gourd, Momordica charantia is a tropical and subtropical vine widely grown for edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all fruits. The plant is grown mainly for the immature fruits although the young leaves and tips are edible. It is also a relative of squash, watermelon, muskmelon, and cucumber.

Bitter melon is commonly stuffed, curried or pickled, though it can be prepared in all kinds of ways and is suitable for any dish from drinks to dessert. It is often used in stir-frys and soups and may be steamed.

Select firm, unblemished melons that are from 5 to 12 inches in length. Choose melons that are still green for a more bitter flavor and a yellow-orange melon for a milder taste. When you cut the melon, you should inspect the seeds. If they are white then you are fine, but if the seeds are red then the melon is too bitter and will not lose its bitterness even by salting. Throw it away!

[Celticevergreen]

Milk Fruit (Star Apple)



Also known as Star Apples, this native of the West Indies was introduced to Asia in the early 19th century and continues to be popular from India across to the Phillipines. There are two varieties - a dark purple skinned variety with red-purple pulp and the green skinned variety with clear-white pulp.

Star apples must not be bitten into. The skin and rind are inedible and you should not allow any of the bitter latex of the skin to contact the edible flesh. The ripe fruit, preferably chilled, may be merely cut in half and the flesh spooned out. The fruit must be fully ripe - the skin is dull, a trifle wrinkled, and the fruit is slightly soft to the touch - or it will be too gummy and tart.

[Sharon123]

Great thread! I'm learning something new!

[Leggy Peggy]

Nice to see you Sharon. I've been learning a lot, too.

[Celticevergreen]

Salak



Salacca zalacca is a species of palm tree native to Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia and whose fruit grow in clusters at the base of the palm. Also known as snake fruit due to the reddish-brown scaly skin, they are about the size and shape of a ripe fig, with a distinct tip. The pulp is edible and can be peeled by pinching the tip which should cause the skin to slough off so it can be pulled away.

Salak is almost always eaten when it is fully ripened but still firm. The taste of the ripe Salak fruit is often described as the combined taste of apples, bananas and pineapples.

[Rinshinomori]

Wow, Salacca zalacca is very different looking. First time for me. I wonder what the pulp feels like ie whether wet flesh or dry flesh.

[Rinshinomori]

I wonder how many unsuspecting people bit into Milk Fruit (Star Apple) and threw them out!

[Celticevergreen]

Rinshinomori wrote:
Wow, Salacca zalacca is very different looking. First time for me. I wonder what the pulp feels like ie whether wet flesh or dry flesh.

From what I have discovered - there are two varieties, one with wet flesh and one with dry flesh. The wet flesh one is more popular outside of Indonesia while the dry one is more popular in Indonesia. Both varieties do not travel very well so there is an effort to start new plantations in Australia and other moist tropical areas. This is definitely a plant not found much outside of it's growing region.

[Celticevergreen]

Jelly Fungus

Black Fungus (Auricularia polytricha)

Snow Fungus (Tremella fuciformis)

Jelly fungi, found attached to trees, are somewhat rubbery and gelatinous. When dried, jelly fungi become hard and shriveled; when exposed to water, they return to their original form. Many different varieties are used in Asian cuisines, the most common being the cloud ear fungus (black fungus) and the snow fungus.

Jelly fungi have little to no flavor of their own, but soaks in the flavors they are cooked with. The fungi are also valued for their crunchy texture. Some even have medicinal value.

Jelly fungi are sold mainly in dried form. If stored in an airtight container, they should keep for up to a year. Before using, soak the fungus in water (hot/cold depends on the variety) for at least fifteen minutes. The fungus will puff up to several times its normal size. Rinse the fungus, cut up into an appropriate shape and size, and add them to the dish.

[Rinshinomori]

Re salak, the skin is amazing looking. Very, very strange skin. Does not look like any food.