Tropical Fruit Nirvana

My recent acquisition: tropical fruit.   

Since Saul is from the NYC, we typically would make at least two trips out there each year to visit his family and to refill my inventory of the ethnic ingredients and foods I use often but which are quite difficult to find here. And to get fruit. Tropical, exotic fruit. Rambutan. Chennette. Haitian mangoes. Longhan. At the risk of sounding cliche, there is no place like New York ....when it comes to fruit. My experience has been that the freshest, sweetest, ripest, and every kind of exotic fruit can be found there.

The past six months have been very hectic for us which meant that could we did not travel as often. So this month, his father flew to Minneapolis instead, and brought with him everything we would typically get  there. Trinidadian black (rum) cake, which is a popular Christmas dessert on the island but found throughout the year at Caribbean stores in NYC, cassava (yucca) pudding, and dhalpouries, Trinidadian-Indian flatbreads filled with seasoned, ground split peas. And the fruit. So much good fruit. I feel privileged. Like a spoilt child refusing to share her sweets or new toys. 

Being a proponent of new experiences, especially when it comes to food, I am posting pictures with a link to additional information on these three fruit: rambutan, lychee, and longan. They look different on the outside, are very similar in the inside but all have a unique flavor. For those who are new to exotic fruit, I hope this serves as encouragement to try something new soon.

Rambutan

Lychee

Longan

On the inside. Left to right: rambutan, lychee, longan