Unfortunately, I can not think of a pun for the title of this post, you shall just have to go another week without reading yet another fruit pun. Formally known as Cucumis metuliferus, the African horned melon, which is also known as kiwano, is a fruit from the central and southern regions of Africa. It is a popular snack and found in Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the United States. Kiwano grows in the fields and is very quick to take over, classifying it as a weed in some parts of the world. The African horned melon has a long history, being an integral part of life in the Kalahari desert where water is scarce. Due to its long shelf life, the fruit can be consumed months after harvest. It’s also an excellent source of vital vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A and C and calcium. When hollowed out, kiwano can be used for decorative purposes as well due to the horns on the skin that give it a sort of natural stability.

As its name suggests, the appearance of the melon is a little…devilish. When ripe, the outer skin of the African horned melon is bright orange with spiked protrusions that could be considered the horns. The inside of the fruit, on the other hand, is lime green and slimy, with tons of edible seeds. When the fruit is ripe, it explodes in order to release the seeds.

People say that it tastes like a cross between a cucumber and a zucchini when not ripe and as it ripens, tastes closer to a banana. Unlike some other fruits, it can be eaten at both times, and the skin of the fruit can be eaten as well, although that might not be to most people’s fancy. To eat, simply cut the fruit in half and squeeze out the flesh.

This week’s recipe is a delicious vegan cheesecake from Enzed Exotics, who also has numerous other delicious ideas for the use of the fruit, if you’re interested.

Kiwano Vegan Cheesecake

Ingredients

For base:

1 cup of raw almonds

1/4 cup raw coconut shreds

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1-2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tsp vanilla extract

For filling:

1 cup of cashews soaked in water overnight then rinsed  and drained

3 dates soaked in water overnight

1 Tbsp coconut oil

Pulp of one Kiwano

1 Tsp nutmeg

Directions

To make the base:
Add all the base ingredients to a food processor and pulse until well incorporated. Spray a loaf pan with coconut oil and press your base down with your fingers. Stick in the freezer for 10 minutes and prep the “cheesecake” filling.

To make “cheesecake” filling:
Add all filling ingredients to a food processor and pulse until you get a creamy filling. Top your base with the filling then store in freezer for another 10 minutes. Top with more Kiwano pulp and enjoy!

That’s right, I lied on my last post (or not so last post as it seems). The last post of the year would have been more accurate. New year, new fruits to learn about and explore. And what better way to kick of the first post of the year than exploring New Year’s fruit traditions from different cultures?

There are so many cultures that have developed New Year’s traditions revolving around food, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the number twelve seems to be a common theme as well.

In Spain, when the clock chimes twelve to ring in the New Year, Spaniards traditionally eat twelve grapes, one for each toll of the bell and for each month of the year. Supposedly, this tradition became widespread during the early twentieth century due to an excellent harvest which required farmers to sell more grapes than usual. Over time, it turned into the belief that eating the “Twelve Grapes” would bring in good luck and prosperity for the new year, and idea that has spread to other Spanish-speaking countries and places with heavy Spanish influence such as the Philippines.

In the Philippines, however, the tradition doesn’t necessarily stick to grapes. It is yearly tradition to welcome the new year with twelve round fruits, which leaves a lot more room for improvisation that the “Twelve Grapes”. According to some, round fruits symbolize money and having twelve symbolizes the complete year. Different fruits have different connotations. Apples symbolize peace and harmony, pomelos symbolize smooth sailing, pineapples bring good fortune, and oranges bring the gift of gold.

Oranges in New Year’s celebrations aren’t limited to the Philippines, they’re a big part of celebrations and feasts in China too! Oranges, tangerines, and kumquats are common because of the belief that they are believed to bring good luck and happiness. Not only does the color of these fruits symbolize prosperity, but the words for them in Chinese are similar to the words for “wealth” and “luck”.

But citrus isn’t the only family of fruit to have its place in a Chinese New Year’s celebration. It is tradition to eat “Eight Treasure Rice” and have a “Tray of Togetherness”. The treasures in Eight Treasure Rice are none other than fruits! Plums, jackfruit, and raisins are just some of the delightful surprises you’ll find in your dessert, which, by the way, represents sweetness for the year ahead. The Tray of Togetherness represents peace and harmony and contains dried fruits and candies, such as strawberries, which, to be honest, sounds delicious.

Lastly, in Turkey, the New Year is welcomed by smashing pomegranates on one’s doorsteps. Pomegranates in Turkish culture in general symbolize new beginnings, so it’s no wonder the fruit plays a part in New Year’s celebrations as well. Pomegranates also symbolize fertility, prosperity, and abundance, which by now we can see is a common theme with wishes for the New Year.

Fruits are more than just delicious morsels to savor during the seasons, they’ve become an integral and important part of many traditions beyond New Year’s celebrations all across the world. Take some time to eat some fruit today, and although it’s a little late, bring in as much health, wealth, and good fortune into this new year as possible, cause we definitely need it!

Since this is the last post of my blog, I thought I would eschew the usual format, and just go through a bunch of the fruits I wanted to get through but didn’t have time to. As it happens, most of them are berries, hence the title. Today we’re going to go through the last three unique fruits to appear on this blog, and each will have the most important facts about it and a link to a recipe rather than typing the recipe out here. So, enjoy!

1. Lilly Pilly

Starting this list off with the Lilly Pilly from Australia, this fruit hopes you have a “G’day, mate!” after you eat it. Lilly Pilly berries have a long history in Australia, being known as “bush food” because of their consumption by Australian Aboriginals. Amongst the Aboriginals, these berries are sometimes known as “medicine berries” due to their high vitamin c content which helps to strengthen the immune system and boost collagen production.

With a scientific name of Syzgium australe, this fruit is described to have a taste that’s tart with a cotton-like consistency. Lilly Pilly berries grow in large clusters and have a bright pink outside, while the inside is white and contains a pea-sized seed. If you thought that these berries would be perfect to make a candied fruit out of, well, you guessed what the Lilly Pilly Recipe will be! Check the recipe link below for more information and the recipe.

Candied Lillypillies

2. Miracle Fruit

Haven’t we all asked for miracles before (particularly when it comes to grades)? Who knew that miracles came in the form of a fruit?

Well, kind of. Actually, not really. The miracle this fruit performs is causing any sour thing eaten after this fruit to turn sweet, which to be honest, is a little disappointing. Anyways, the miracle fruit is an evergreen shrub with a scientific name of Synsepalum dulcificum that is typically grown in West Africa. Weirdly enough, the fruit was actually banned in the US by the FDA in the sixties due to pressure from the sugar industry which saw it as an alternative sweetener competition.

Miracle fruit plants take about 3-4 years to produce fruits, and the fruits are red in color. They are said to taste like a sweetened cranberry, and are kind of expensive to find and buy, so plan ahead if you want to make the following recipe.

Miracle Ice Cream

3. Akebi

Commonly known as “chocolate vine”, the Akebi fruit has an interesting situation going on with it’s appearance. It’s bright purple on the outside, and pale with many seeds on the inside. According to Kyoto Foodie, Japanese people look down on fruits that need be eaten with seeds. And, if you haven’t guessed by now, this fruit is native to Japan, and surprisingly, this fruit is sometimes called as a “domestic exotic” because it’s not a very well-known and popular fruit in Japan.

Akebi has a scientific name of Akebia quinata. It doesn’t have much of a taste, and is best eaten without chewing the seeds. The flowers are also chocolate scented, hence the nickname “chocolate vine”. While its nickname includes chocolate, the recipe I’m including below is for using Akebi in a savory dish, so, as you can see, Akebi is a versatile fruit.

Akebi Miso Itame

And that’s the end of today’s mad dash to get everything in that I wanted to, so hope you enjoyed all of the posts from this blog, and I hope that these past few weeks of reading have been a fruitful lesson for you!

Well, not exactly. While this may look like a serving of that delicious rich chocolate pudding served at Nana’s house, this image is actually that of the black sapote, aptly known as the chocolate fruit. The black sapote has a scientific name of Diospyros nigra and is actually a species of persimmon. The tree is native to Mexico and Central America although it is grown in other tropical places such as the Philippines. In fact in some places in the Philippines, the unripe black sapote is used as fish poison due to how bitter and caustic it is. Weirdly enough, the tree that bears this fruit is actually an evergreen tree. Personally, when I think of evergreen trees, I think of the firs and pines that we have here in Pennsylvania, so this surprising.

Now, onto the question you’ve probably been wondering. Does the chocolate fruit actually taste like chocolate? Surprisingly, yes, the black sapote does have a taste that is somewhat similar to chocolate pudding with a mild chocolate taste and a pudding texture, but it’s probably not going to be a healthy alternative to the idea of “death by chocolate”. The fruit has an inedible outer skin that turns green when ripe while the inside contains the flesh of the fruit as well as seeds at the center. Of course, the flesh of the fruit turns a deep rich hue of brown when ripe, giving it its name. To eat this fruit, cut it in half and remove the seeds. Then, you can just scoop the flesh out with either a spoon or your hand, although the latter might get a little bit messy. With that in mind, let us move on to the recipe!

This week, the recipe is the “Black Sapote, Molasses, and Ginger Cake” recipe from Danielle Alvarez at Delicious. It’s a little bit lengthier than the usual recipe, but it looks so good!

Ingredients

80g freshly grated ginger

1 cup caster sugar

250g unsalted butter

500g sapote pulp from 2 very ripe fruits

4 eggs

300g molasses

1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar

2 tsp vanilla bean paste

2 1/3 cups plain flour

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp bicarb soda

1 tsp baking powder

Directions