Australias Exotic Fruit Farm 2 Fruit Tasting

Tasting fruits in whole form

Youre greeted with a cool glass of water with splash of West Indian Lime at the Cape Tribulation Exotic Fruit Farm on arrival. The flavor is recognizably lime, but subtler, less tart. The fruit farm has been collecting and growing unique tropical fruits since 1988. The tasting is a chance to get up close and personal with some very rare fruits, many of which are grown on the same land the farm sits on. Trish, our instructor also offers lots of information on recognizing when the fruit is ripe, peeling and cutting the fruits, and recipe and flavor pairings. Its a fruity dream in a tropical rain forest.

Tasting list

Breadfruit is a large spiky fruit. When its fully ripe, its a falling apart mess. Its eaten in its starchier state, and has lots of uses. We had ours roasted like potatoes. The flavor was nutty, and rooty. Very like a parsnip.

Roasted breadfruit

Youve probably heard of the next one, jakfruit. Its available in a can in the states, and Ive had it in halla halla, an Asian dessert. The canned version doesnt have much to do with the real thing. Its a monster. Jakfruit is the biggest tree-born fruit and can weigh as much as 88 pounds. The segments of the jakfruit are removed and cut into pieces after the skin is removed. The fruit is full of a sticky latex that will aggressively adhere to skin and clothes. Its recommended to wear gloves when cutting it up, and wipe your knife to prevent build up.

Cutting the jakfruit

The flavor is beautiful. Bright honey, banana, even a little watermelon in there. The texture is crunchy, and smooth. The segments contain seeds, which can be boiled and eaten too.

Jakfruit segments

Pomelo are becoming less and less exotic. They are widely available in New York City markets. These Burma bases fruits are the granddaddy of a many other citrus fruits, namely grapefruit.

Cutting the pomelo

Pomelos are still very similar to grapefruits. The fruits are triple the size with a drier texture. The fruit, pith and rind are all edible. The flavor is less bitter than grapefruit, but with a good citrus taste.

Pomelo fruit

After the first 4 fruits the tasting took a real departure towards very exotic. Sapodilla is small brown fruit which turns a caramel color when ripe. An indicator of its sweet caramel flavor. I found it similar to a fresh date, but fleshier with a little mealy texture. Its wonderful.

Cutting the sapodilla fruit

The sapodilla is also used to make gum. The seeds should not be eaten. The sapodilla fruit is best fresh, and hard to cook.

Sapodilla, soft and sweet

Yellow sapote was another fruit first for me. Its texture is like no other fruit. Its velvety soft and a little dense. The flavor was mild. My eyes may be playing tricks on my palette, but I detected some pumpkin notes, perhaps a little peachy too.

Yellow sapote in halves

Because of the yellow sapotes unique texture it goes very well with cheese, in yogurt, and ice cream. Its just a delight to feel it in your mouth and shines with its stand-out yellow color. Of all the fruits I tasted I really imagine this one having its own place in the commercial market.

Yellow sapote fruit with a creamy texture

Next Trish held up what looks like a plus size unripened tomato. In fact even the farmers have a hard time knowing when this fruit is ripe. They watch the birds to know when to pick it. The black sapote is ripe 4-5 days later. From then you must be quick to eat it, or falls apart.

Youd never guess whats inside the black sapote fruit

Black sapote is also known as pudding fruit, because its flavor is just like pudding, Jell-o pudding to be more exact. Its related to persimmon, and shares a similar taste. The flavor is sugary, and undistinguished. But its minimal flavor and decadent texture makes it a great palette for other flavors. Go ahead and add cocoa powder or orange juice, maybe some cinnamon or spice. Black sapote could be the healthier vegan alternative to custards and richer desserts. If it werent so hard to package I can imagine this fruit also having a greater life in the international market.

Black sapote the pudding fruit

Davidson plum is local to the Daintree rain forest area. Its another surprise, but this time not so sweet. The tiny plum is mouth wrenching sour. Remember warheads? Its that sour, but I believe with more of a physical effect. Your face can not stop its self from puckering and twitching. The color is as large as the flavor, fluorescent magenta. How does nature event this stuff?

Mini Davidson plum with a huge flavor

The davidson plum is popular in savory foods. It does well in sauce with gamy flavors. Kangaroo with davidson plum anyone? It can also be used to color foods with 10x the color of a beet. If I got my hands on some of these plums you can bet Id make some really radical sour pickles.

Davidson plum electric sour flavor

The star apple is neither an apple or a star, discuss. Well, there is a star revealed by cutting the fruit in thirds. The flavor is mellow and sugary, a bit like a fresh fig. The texture is velvety and airy. Emphasis on the mouth-feel rather than the flavor.

Cutting the star apple

The star apple should be eaten in wedges. The skin is not edible.

Star apple

The next fruit has many names to many people. Guanabana aka soursop aka custard apple or the peoples jakfruit. Its the best fruit Ive tried yet. The flesh is wet and avocado soft with some fibers. The flavor doesnt know when to stop. Complex flavors are sweet, acidic, and a bit perfumed. Describing the taste is like describing the flavor of a banana. Nothing compares.

Saving the best for last, guanabana

Guanabana is ripe when the scaly skin is pale green. The stay away from the toxic seeds. The fruit is often paired with champagne. This fruit has an international reputation already, and I cant remember seeing it in America. I am dead set on finding it at home.

Guanabana aka soursop aka custard apple

With or without the exotic fruit farm the Cape Tribulation in Northern Queensland is a spectaluar place to visit. Combind with this special farm dedicated to collecting, and educating people on the delights of fruit I think its a number one destination for anyone interested in food. Really interested? Try a work stay or a few nights in their B&B. You only stand to risk to spoil your senses.

Day 016 Meals to Kill a King

Im in Taipei to eat and explore. Not traveling, just working while hanging out in a foreign land. I take eating very seriously. Ask me if I want to try it and the answer is yes. Especially if Ive never tried it before. Every meal is big, big enough for a king, and often I have 2-3 a day to make any royal gout flame with fear.

Hot pot food station, pace yourself

I met up with an American friend, Chris, who has been living in Taiwan for more than a year. He has a lot of insight on being a foreigner in Taipei, which is a welcoming place. He answers all my, "How do you make this happen?" over hot pot. Hot pot is a buffet of raw ingredients you cook yourself in a pot of broth kept hot by a burner inside each table. Your first choice is between normal and spicy broth for the pot. Off you go to the food station where there are hundreds of fresh ingredients to choose from such as: cabbage, carrots, peppers, beans, asparagus, mushrooms, fish cakes, meat/fish balls, dumplings, buns, hunks of fish, squid, shrimp, beef, oysters, mussels, scallops, dried noodles, tempura things, and much more I cant identify. There is a drink station with hot and cold tea, juice and sodas. Dont miss the dipping sauce area to mix a series of 7ish sauces with scallions, sesame, and chilis to create the perfect sauce for your perfect selection of anything you feel like eating. Variety is the emphasis as long as you dont go into decision shock. Did I mention theres an ice cream bar of more than 15 flavors and soft serve!

Spicy and normal hot pot broths

Its very casual, and fun. You cant really mess this up as long as you can recognize the difference between cooked and raw food. I ordered spicy broth for my hot pot. It came with a purplish black opaque jelly. I sorta thought it was marinated tofu that had absorbed the dark color of the spicy broth. It tasted neutral and satisfying with an umami flavor. Vegetarians beware: this was not tofu, but pigs blood. If its a dark black/brown/purple in Asia it probably contains blood. That being said blood is pretty yummy, and there is nothing to fear.

Red bean, black bean, and plum (maybe?) ice cream

After a drawn out and pleasant meal we set off for a walk towards the Sun Yat Sen memorial and Taipei 101. Dr. Sun Yat Sen is the over thrower of the Qing Dynasty and first president of the Republic of China. Perhaps inspired by history or just knowing whats what my food guide Michael brings us to a "main land immigrant style" restaurant. The restaurant has been open since the 1950s, which is very very very old for Taipei.

When food is all sort of one color you know its going to be good

Its good. So good. Home cooked with people who remember how food should taste in respect to the past. I eat way too much, because I know this is a unique opportunity. We have a noodle dish with sesame and black beans. Count me in for anything in those combinations. A giant bowl of pork meatball (meat balls the size of a fist) and fish soup are brought to the table. The broth complex and meatier than most of the light and clear broths Ive tried so far. The staff comes by every 15 minutes or so with a big tea pot of broth to replenish what weve eaten. Theres also a giant plate of pork stacked with sliced pork intestines (chewy) slices of pork (soft) tofu (standard) and pieces of pork meat from the side of the pigs head. I cant stop eating. In addition (if I havent already tempted you enough) theres poached chicken and stir fried vegetables, and sliced and stir fried scallion pancake. The only beer pairing that can honor this meal is good old Taiwan beer, which we drink in short glasses.

Sesame black bean noodles

Porkity porky pork and some tofu

On hearing my sad attempts to learn some new Chinese phrases from my friends an old man comes over to laugh at me. This usually doesnt happen in Taipei, but he means no harm. Immediately he offers my friend and I a betel nut. Betel nuts are tan, about the size of a small date, and come wrapped in a green leaf. To start the betel action, you bite the end of, and stick it in the back of your teeth on your molars. Spit out the first juice, and keep going. Ive never had chewing tobacco, but Im spitting like it. Its sort of disturbing how much you need to spit. The betel nut is a stimulant, which make the inside of mouth warm and tingly. It also makes beer taste sweet. Take a look at other betel nut connoisseurs mouths and youll see the long term damage it can do to your mouth. Not a new habit for me. Eating like a king.