Fruit & Veg | Cook Asian Food

Jackfruit – Artocarpus heterophyllus

The Jackfruit, Artocarpus heterophyllus, is an enormous fruit which can grow up to about 3 feet in length. Native to S.E.Asia the Jackfruit is the largest tree borne fruit in the world. Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh. The outer husk of the Jackfruit is hard and spiny, green when the fruit is unripe, turning yellowish green when ripe. If the Jackfruit is damaged in any way, it exudes a white sticky sap. If you rub a little oil on your hands and knife the sap won’t stick.

Chinese Broccoli – Gai Lan – Brassica Oleracea

Chinese Broccoli is a member of the Brassica Oleracea group which includes Broccoli, Cabbage, Kale, Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts. Chinese Broccoli is also known as Gai Lan, Kai Lan or Chinese Kale. Chinese Broccoli is slightly bitter with a hint of pepper. Unlike Broccoli where only the flower buds are eaten, with Chinese Broccoli the small emerging flower buds, thick bluish green leaves and the stems are used.

Fuyu Persimmon Fruit Juice Drink

Fuyu Persimmon make a very refreshing fruit juice drink that brings out the full flavour of the Persimmon fruit. Simplicity itself to make, this Fuyu Persimmon fruit juice drink makes a pleasant change from the more common fruit drinks and is packed with vitamins. You can adjust the sweetness by varying the quantity of sugar.

Fuyu Persimmon – Diospyros

The astringent Hachiya Persimmon and the Fuyu Persimmon, which is only slightly astringent when unripe, are both fruits of trees of the Diospyros genus. Diospyros meand ‘food of the Gods’. The Fuyu Persimmon, Diospyros kaki, resembles a flattened and somewhat squared off tomato with deep orange skin and light orange flesh. Whilst there are several other varieties of Persimmon, many are inedible.

Thai Eggplant – Makhua Puang – Solanum torvum

This Thai Eggplant or aubergine known in Thailand as Makhua Puang, comes from Solanum torvum widely known as Turkey Berry. The fruit are in fact the the small green pea sized berries which grow in large clusters. These berries turn yellow when fully ripe but are harvested for use when they are still green and are one of the main ingredients along with another Thai Eggplant, Makhua Phro, in Thai Green Curry.

Dragon Fruit – Pitaya – Hylocereus

Pitaya, better known as Dragon Fruit, is the fruit of a cactus of the genus Hylocereus. Native to Central and South America, Dragon Fruit are now widely grown in S.E.Asia. Dragon Fruit are available in several varieties. There are red skinned Dragon Fruit with red flesh, red skinned Dragon Fruit with white flesh and whilst not often seen in Asia, there are yellow skinned Dragon Fruit with white flesh.

Fruity Drinks – Dragon Fruit

One of the most exotic fruity drinks has to be this Dragon Fruit drink, a refreshing and really fruity combination of Dragon Fruit, Banana and Yoghurt.

Tamarind – Tamarindus indica

Tamarind is a very large and bushy tree with fruits that vary in length between 7 and 15cm. The fruits are encased in a brittle brown shell which can be prised open easily when the fruit is ripe. Inside this shell, the Tamarind fruit can have anywhere between 1 and 12 brown seeds depending on the variety.

Thai Eggplant – Makhua Phro

Makhua Phro is a Thai Eggplant or Aubergine about the size of a golf ball. Belonging to the genus Solanum, this Thai Eggplant is one of several eggplants popular in Thailand where they are an essential ingredient in curries including the well known green and red curries.

Chinese Stir Fry – Bok Choy Recipe

This Chinese stir fry uses Bok Choy, sometimes known as Chinese Chard or Chinese Mustard. Bok Choy is a member of the Brassica family but doesn’t form a head and is a very popular vegetable in S.E. Asia. This Bok Choy recipe can be used as a side dish but is also delicious eaten on its own

Palm Fruit – Salacca – Sala

Salacca is a tropical Palm Fruit known as Sala in Thailand. The species for this Palm Fruit is variously given as “Salacca Rumphii. wall”, “Salacca Zalacca” or “Salacca Wallichiana”. Salacca or Sala grows in clusters at the base of the very short stemmed Salacca Palm Trees which are native to S.E. Asia.

Bamboo Shoots

Edible Bamboo Shoots are the new growth from a few of the many varieties of Bamboo. Bamboo Shoots are an important food source in Asia but the Bamboo Shoots have to be prepared carefully before use. Young Bamboo Shoots have a very bitter taste and are often woody and difficult to digest, some of the varieties also contain Cyanogens. To prepare Bamboo Shoots for eating, the outer layers should be peeled off and the remaining root is then sliced and boiled in water for 15 – 25 minutes in an uncovered pan.

Asian Fruit – Pomelo – Pummelo – Shaddock

The Pomelo or Pummelo is an Asian fruit also known as Shaddock. Native to S.E.Asia the Pomelo or Pummelo (Citrus Maxima) is the largest fruit in the Citrus Family. This Asian fruit can weigh up to several kilos. The flesh of the Pomelo is similar in appearance to that of a grapefruit and can be yellow to pinkish red.

Sapodilla – Asian Fruit

Sapodilla is an Asian fruit with a sweet taste slightly similar to a pear. Sapodilla (Manilkara achras), whilst not a native Asian fruit, is widely grown in many Asian countries. Apart from its fruit, the Sapodilla tree is famous for another byproduct, chicle, a latex type sap which at one time was the main ingredient [...]

Kaffir Lime Leaves – Kaffir Lime – Citrus Hystrix

The Kaffir Lime (Citrus Hystrix) is important to many Asian cuisines providing both Kaffir Lime Fruit and Kaffir Lime Leaves. Kaffir Lime leaves are highly aromatic and used as a flavouring. Kaffir Lime Leaves can be used whole, either fresh or dried, and are not normally eaten except in a few Asian dishes where the leaves should be finely chopped. Used extensively in Thailand and Indonesia in curries and soups including Thai Tom Yums, fresh Kaffir Lime leaves can also be used in salads.

« Previous Entries

An Asian Food Journey

Subscribe

Recent Posts

Slideshow

Pages

Categories

BlogRoll

Buttons