Fruit Mystery Solved

Ever since we discovered the ”really good fruit” I wrote about a couple of days ago, everyone in my house has been focused on identifying what it is and finding more for us to eat. My helper came home from an evening out with two baskets to share, only to confess sheepishly that she and her friend had originally purchased three for consumption. A friend told me that although she did not know what they were called, she knew these small, elusive treats had a small window of availability – usually a month or so each year.

My husband returned from a business trip last night and – after devouring one we’d saved for him – spent considerable time on the Internet trying to identify this small reddish-purplish lychee-sized mystery fruit. He eventually met with with success, and we learned that it is known here as Yangmei and native to Asia – mostly found in China – where it has thrived for thousands of years. In English, it is sometimes called a bayberry or Chinese strawberry.

Here are a couple of links for more information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrica_rubra
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-yangmei.htm

Most of us are continuing to enjoy this elusive fruit. My daughter, however, has informed me that she no longer likes the “the really good fruit,” so perhaps, we’ll start calling it Yangmei.