Introduction to fruit

by | Dec 6, 2021 | Fruit | 0 comments

Peaches

“Be like a Pineapple. Stand tall, be sweet and always wear a crown.”

-Unknown

“Practice what you peach.”

-Unknown

“A Fruit is a Vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you get fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussel sprouts never do”.

-P.J. O’Rourke

Introduction:

Fruit is diverse, delicious, and eaten within Season, a thing of Real Beauty! As Foodies, we are so privileged to explore the vast Family Varieties of Citrus, Fruit from the Tropics, Pomology in all its forms, Stone Fruit and many more. We can enjoy them Fresh, Decadently Caramelised with Dessert, Topped with Toasted Nuts and Chocolate, ‘Sous Vide-ed’ to intensify their Flavour, Semi-dried, Dehydrated, Candied, as a Jam or Jelly, in a Conserve or Preserve- the list is endless…

My latest little Fruit ‘Delight’ is creating Fruit Powders and Dehydrated Versions – Strawberry Powder, Orange Dust, Candied Peel, Dehydrated Apple Rounds with such intense Flavour that if it could speak, it would go “Swoooosh” in your mouth! Dehydrated Fruit extend into exciting and new possibilities as Foodthologists to stretch the boundaries of Gastronomy and Cuisine alike in order to explore new and unfamiliar waters of Taste, Texture and Aroma, while also gently reaffirming Recipes and Techniques of the Masters of Old that lived before us…

Fruit in all its Breath-taking Colours, with its unique Nutritional Properties, Tastes and Textures allow Epicureans to experiment with, and delight themselves in Fruit (in every way) in the Little Everyday Pleasures of Life. I hope to inspire you to start looking at Fruit using a different pair of goggles – Little Miracles that can be used as a Whole: The Skin for Fermentation, the Flesh and Juice for blissful Consumption, the Seed carefully packaged to Manufacture Future Life, the Waste – Organic Compost Heaven…

They deserve our admiration and respect, especially to the One who placed them into our care.

Let us look at a summary on Fruit Families below:

Tropical Fruit, Citrus Fruit, Stone Fruit, Hard Fruit, Soft Fruit, specific fruit known to our beautiful beloved country, South African Fruit and Botanical Fruit.

Fruit Category

Tropical

Fruit Examples

Coconut, Pineapples, Bananas, Mangoes, Papaya, Pawpaw, Starfruit (Carambola), Kiwifruit and Litchis are all examples of fruit from the Tropics.

Citrus Fruit

How fortunate we are to feast on a wide variety of Citrus such as Oranges, Mandarins, Clementines, Nova, Mineola & Winolas, Tangerines, Pomelo, Grapefruit, Lemons, Limes, Yuzu and Kumquats (Remember that all these examples will have a wide variety of cultivars).

Stone Fruit

Fruit that contains a hard Stone-like Pip are Cherries, Peaches (including all the various cultivars), Apricots, Nectarines, Plums, Prunes.

Hard Fruit

Hard Fruit are divided into two groups:

Pommes (Meaning “Apples” in French): Apples, Pears, Persimmon (Sharon Fruit)
Melons: Watermelon, Orange Spanspek (Cantaloupe), Green Honeydew Melon.

Soft Fruit

All Berries, Grapes and Figs.

Seasonal Fruit From South Africa

Seasonal Winter Fruit Examples from South Africa: 

Gooseberries (Soft Fruit), All Citrus Varieties, All Hard Fruit Varieties and Bananas (Tropical Fruit).

Seasonal Summer Fruit Examples from South Africa:

Spanspek (Hard Fruit), Strawberries (Soft Fruit), Cherries, Apricots, Peaches and Plums (Stone Fruit).

Botanical Fruit

These “Fruits” are often considered to be ‘Vegetables’ but are in fact “Fruit” due to the fact that they contain pips, and also, because the Fruit of the plant is consumed. They are lower in Sugar Content and therefore Less Sweet in Taste. “Vegetables” are the Edible Portion of the plant that is consumed, e.g., the Stem, Leaves or Bulb etc.

Botanical Fruit Examples include Cucumbers, Pumpkins, Squash (Cucurbits), Bell Peppers, Tomatoes, Beans, Peas, Peanuts (a Legume), Corn and Eggplants.

NB: Due to Import-Export and Poly-Tunnel Growth, consumers can enjoy various types of Fruit all year round. However, fruit will be Tastier, more Nutritious and Less Expensive if we buy them in Season!

Coconut

Coconut:

Coconut, classified as ‘Cocos Nucifera’ is believed to be fist cultivated in the Indo-Pacific on the Southeast Islands such as the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Looking at the Indian Ocean, Coconuts were cultivated in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Laccadives. From India they spread Westwards. By the time they were introduced in the East of Africa, Europe also got hold of this Wonder Fruit and spread the Palms to the Atlantic Coast of Africa where the Americas later made their discovery.

Vasco da Gama’s expedition to the Indian Ocean opened the path to Trade Routes that would later move Westward from India towards the Atlantic – from India to Africa, from Africa to Brazil, where the Caribbean later started to cultivate this luxurious fruit. European explorers called it “Coco”, which means ‘hobgoblin’ because of the “face” created by the markings on the shell. 

Coconuts were loved by the Romans, adopted into Asian Cuisine as a key ingredient to curries and have been eaten and enjoyed by various civilisations. India’s Coconut Production Headquarters are based in Kochi, Kerala, and are responsible for up to 92 % of Total Production in the South of India and its neighbours.  However, Indonesia sparkles brightly as the crown of Coconut Producing countries in the world.

Coconut Trees are the most useful trees in the world and are also called ‘Trees of Life’ for being so useful in the production of Cosmetics, Medicine, Fuel, Food and even Building Materials!

Mature Ripe Coconuts can be used as an Edible Plant (the Flesh), processed (pressed and extracted) into Milk and Oil, Charcoal from the hard Shell and Coir from the Fibrous Husk. Coconut Sap can even be fermented to produce Wine or Vinegar!

In conclusion, Coconuts can be transformed into many useful products used from Consumption to Interior Decorating, Building and Cosmetology. Here is a Culinary Outline of Edible Produce made from the Fruit:

Coconut Shavings: Raw or dried shavings from the Flesh of the fruit.
Coconut Cream: The First Pressing of the Fruit.
Coconut Milk: The Second Pressing of the Fruit and other forms of extraction.
Coconut Oil: Cold Extracted or Pressed Flesh.
Coconut Water: The Liquid Endosperm of the Fruit.
Coconut Wine and Vinegar: Fermented Sweet Water from the Fruit.

“The two basic items necessary to sustain life are sunshine and Coconut Milk”.

-Dustin Hoffman

Use this Gift to Mankind as a Baking and Cooking Substitute to Fat (very Stable and Nutritious), as a Moisturiser, Treatment for Oily Skin, the Ultimate Luxury to any Dish or Dessert or as a Beautifying Element in your Home’s Décor. You’ve GOT to love it – The Coconut Tree truly is the most useful tree and fruit on earth!

Recent Posts