Show & Tell: Fruit

     






Here are some fruits I found in our refrigerator tonight.  By color:
     pink and green - dragonfruit
     orange - papaya
     light yellow - Asian pear/apple pear
     green - mandarin orange
And the green foliage is from the jasmine bushes that grow luxuriantly along the walkways around the apartment buildings where we live.
     

     After tasting the dragonfruit, Leah said, "This is probably one of the worst dragonfruits I've had."  That's not saying much.  In my opinion there's not much difference between the best and the worst.  They're supposed to taste like a cross between a kiwi and a pear, but I don't think they usually taste like much of anything.  The flavor of the apple pears and mandarin oranges can also be a little underwhelming.  I think the reason many of the fruits we get here lack flavor and sweetness is that the farmers traditionally have picked them long before they're ripe so they don't spoil before they get to market in this subtropical climate.  Now in spite of modern transportation getting fruit to the Chinese consumer much faster than it used to, everyone may be used to certain fruits being eaten green.  

     The papayas are tasty, though.  They're picked somewhat green, but they ripen up fast.  I buy one of these just about every day at the little store/market where I get most of our produce. "Here she comes--any papaya left?" the young store workers probably call out to each other when they see me coming with my shopping tote.

     The Fireside apples are getting ripe now in Minnesota.  Although I like papaya, I'd trade one for a Fireside any day!

Now about the jasmine.  It grows all along this sidewalk leading out the front gate, which is straight ahead.  There are a few fragrant white flowers here and there on the bushes, though they're not really visible in this photo.  Yes, I picked a few sprigs from these bushes to put in a teacup on our table.  (I miss having fresh flowers to pick from my back yard.)  I reasoned it was okay because these things grow so fast that they start crowding our feet before the groundskeepers can get them pruned away from the sidewalk.  They're nicely trimmed here, though, aren't they?