Fruits
What’s that fruit?
English name/Okinawan/Japanese
Acerola / ? / Aserora
Acerola is a super rich vitamin C fruit (30 times more than an orange), originally from Yucatan, Mexico. It grows well in warm climates, such as Okinawa. This bright red cherry looking fruit with a slight sweet and tart flavor is yummy eaten fresh or made into jam or juice.
Dragon fruit/dragon fruit/dragon fruit!
A delicious and nutritious cactus fruit native to Mexico, Central & South America, but also grown in Southeast Asia. The flesh is either red or white, and contains little edible seeds. The skin, which isn’t edible, comes in the red or yellow variety. Cut the fruit in half and spoon out the slightly sweet flesh. Try it frozen, like a sorbet.
Storage: Fridge: 1 month, whole dragon fruit. Freezer: 3 months.
Mikan
This sweet citrus fruit has a green peel and orange flesh. It’s very sweet with a slight tart taste. The lack of seeds makes it easy to enjoy – peeled, sliced or as juice. The skin is naturally green, and does not need to change color before eating.
Storage: Fridge: 3-4 weeks.
Pineapple
Pineapple is not only delicious, but it’s high in vitamin C. It’s perfect eaten as is, or in salads, kebabs, stir fries, fried rice, desserts, salsas, the list goes on! Pineapple Fried Rice Recipe
Storage/ Cutting: If the pineapple is a bit green let it ripen outside the fridge upside down; this will bring the sugar up from the bottom, otherwise refrigerate. When you’re ready to cut, pull off the green top, and thinly slice off the skin lengthwise. There will be the eyes (brown dots) remaining; cut these out individually. This method takes a bit more time, but not as much fruit is wasted. YouTube video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6A6nyvecA4&feature=related
( Bogor pineapple / ? / snaku pine)
If you like the taste of pineapple, but not peeling it, then this is the pineapple for you. There is no need to peel the rind at all. Just cut a portion out, break pieces off by the eye, and eat the fruit underneath. You can even break off small sections by hand, thus skipping the cutting altogether. The spine is also edible! The bogor pineapple is smaller than regular pineapples.
Storage: Fridge: whole ripe pineapple for a week. Freezer: Sliced and stored in a container for 10 months.
Okinawan name: Shikwasa, pronounced with long vowel sounds, shii-kwaa-saa.
In the Okinawan language Shi = sour and kwasa means food, and shikwasa is the perfect “sour food”. This small hard green citrus fruit native to Okinawa tastes very similar to limes. It enhances the flavor of dragon fruit, is refreshing as a juice, and is the perfect lime substitute. Shikwasa are eaten when the skin is green, as shown in the picture. Check out this recipe for candied key limes, using shikwasa. Best season: July – November.
Storage: Fridge: 3-4 weeks. Freezer: 4 months; squeeze juice into ice cube trays.
Star Fruit
This sweet and tart fruit has a beautiful star shape when cut. It’s ripe when it’s yellow, and brown on the ridges, but still firm. The waxy skin and seeds are all edible. If you prefer, trim off the brown ridges or leave as is. While ripening, store at room temperature, and refrigerate after it’s ripe. Star fruit jazzes up vegetable and fruit salads, stir fries, drinks, yogurt and other desserts, and shrimp, fish & chicken dishes. Star Fruit Goat Cheese Salad
Storage: Ripen at room temperature & then refrigerate 1-2 week. Freezer: 10 months (sliced)