The Golden is a pineapple that's been to charm school. The tartness has been reined in just a bit. It is sweeter and mellower than other pineapples. The Golden is a good mixer in yogurt or fruit salad and a surefire hit with kids.
(x3) With its potato color and Astroturf feel, the unpeeled kiwifruit doesn't give a clue to the bright green sunburst inside. It tastes like strawberry and honeydew melon. And the seeds are the pleasant, disappear-on-contact kind, not the stick-in-your-teeth kind. You can eat the skin, but we prefer to peel it.
Coconuts have soft flesh and lots of liquid. In the tropics, people often sip the coconut water inside. To crack one, simply chop a shallow wedge into the tapered top, then pour out the water when the first opening appears (or simply insert a straw to sip straight from the coconut). Once it's drained, continue slicing through the husk. A long metal spoon will help you scoop out the flesh
If you could pack a strawberry, a pineapple, and a banana in a lemon-sized package, you'd have a guava. Its texture is papaya-like, and the aroma it exudes is strong and fragrant. The skin is a bonus, soft and tart, with a surprising clove flavor.
Mexican mangoes are small, delicately shaped mangoes with golden yellow skins and velvety flesh. Sometimes called champagne mangoes or honey mangoes, this fruit has very little fibrous texture and a skinny pit.
Haitian mangoes are larger, delicately shaped mangoes with greenish redder skins and velvety flesh. Sometimes called champagne mangoes or honey mangoes, this fruit has very juicy fibrous texture and a skinny pit.
With a melon-like flavor, fragrant aroma and beautiful pale green interior, green papayas may are a bit milder than red papayas. These add delicious flavors to cooking and salads.
With a melon-like flavor, fragrant aroma and beautiful salmon red interior, yellow papayas are extremely sweet. Yellow papaya adds color and taste to any salad
The carambola has a licorice-tinged citrus flavor and the texture of a ripe plum. It's juicy and mild and easy to eat. Eat it whole, no need to peel. The name "star fruit" comes from the five-pointed shape.
This tropical vegetable often considered identifiable as the species Colocasia antiquorum, closely related to taro (dasheen, Colocasia esculenta), which is primarily used for its thickened stems.
The same fruit as a yellow plantain, but less ripe. It's even more starchy and less sugary, with only a hint of banana sweetness. Popular in Latin American, Caribbean, African, and Indian cuisine. Green plantains can be fried; diced and boiled; or pureed and added to spicy soups and stews to thicken and add body. Treat them like potatoes or squash. Keep them around and they'll turn yellow.
The starchiness of a potato with the sweetness of a banana. Fried yellow plantains, called maduros or amarillos, are a staple of Latin American tables. They are like potato chips, but warm, irresistibly chewy, salty, and almost candied. Serve these big "cooking bananas" as a side dish with black beans and rice or roast chicken.
