Dragon Fruit and Friends: A Look at Southeast Asia Fruit

Longan, pomelo, jack fruit, mango, papaya, custard apple, sapodilla, oranges, limes, grapes, berries, coconut, pineapple…  Southeast Asia offers an endless abundance of ripe, bright, flavorful fruit that’s difficult to ignore – especially considering several  kinds look like something out of “Little Shop of Horrors”...

Rambutan: A lychee-like fruit that looks like sea anemone on the outside and a gelatinous egg on the inside, mmmmm.

Mangosteen: One of my favorites – juicy, sweet & tangy slices of heaven.

Rose Apple and Guava: Not my favorites, although guava is often eaten as a snack dipped in a salt/sugar/chili mixture that is a real trip for the tastebuds.

Dragon Fruit, Mangosteen, Tomatoes and Green Mangoes: The inside of the dragon fruit comes in either white or dark fuchsia, flecked with tiny black seeds like a poppy seed muffin.  Green mango is also eaten with the aforementioned spicy sugar goodness.  Tomatoes are…tomatoes.

The Infamous Durian: Fleshy with a rotten, sickly sweet/overripe smell durian is considered the “King of Fruit”.  It is also not allowed in hotels for fear that guests will think something died in the wall.

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