What are jackfruits?(and a few other fruits I don't know much about)

[Togath]

After finding an interesting local-ish Asian market, I figured it would be worth seeing if anyone here can help me identify some of the fruits(I'll include the pictures from the market's website).
First is the Jackfruit;
http://www.lamsseafood.com/wp-content/uploads/Jack-Fruit.png
it looks odd.. but from a quick search on wikipedia, it's supposedly like a cross between a banana and a mango?

There's also the Longan
http://www.lamsseafood.com/wp-content/uploads/Longan.jpg
which I've never heard of.

As well as the Lychee, which I vaguely remember hearing somewhere before, though I can't remember anything about it.
http://www.lamsseafood.com/wp-content/uploads/Lychee.png

And finally, the Mangosteen;
http://www.lamsseafood.com/wp-content/uploads/Mangosteen-Mang-Cut.png
Which look vaguely like a white orange.. am I anywhere near close with that assumption?

[Palanan]

In my experience lychees are wonderful, at least when they're in light syrup like pears. Couldn't speak to the others.

Closer to home, though--at least to my home--I have to put in a word for one of my absolute favorite fruits, the pawpaw, which most people in my own state have never heard of. Even the people at my local farmer's grocery have never heard of it.

If you ever get the chance, try a pawpaw. It's in the same family as the soursop, but reaches further north. Unfortunately the fruit is tricky to ripen and extremely delicate, so it hasn't been adapted for the mass-distribution network. But it's fantastic fresh from the tree.

[Taffimai]

I know lychees. You first remove the red outer layer (sort of like peeling an egg). The white flesh underneath is what you want to eat, and there will mostly be a tiny amount of absolutely delicious juice as well. The flesh is wrapped around a single, large, dark brown pit that is quite bitter if you bite into it, so your best bet is to look for the end of the fleshy part and to gently unwrap it.

As Palanan said, they get sold in tins as well, but then they tend to be rather chewy and taste more of flavoured syrup than the actual fruit. The difference is comparable to that between tinned and fresh pineapple.

Edit: My favourite exotic fruit are cherimoya (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherimoya). Hmmmmm...

[Haruki-kun]

Lychees grew in my home region, they're delicious. They used to make them into juice, ice cream, candy... really good stuff.

[Kneenibble]

Of jackfruit, I ate frequently in Chennai. It has a very sweet taste sort of like a slightly funky and non-acidic pineapple with a chewy texture. I loved them, but others found it quite unpleasant for some reason. Each of those little nuggets surrounds a big white seed.

Jackfruit is the main flavouring in Juicy Fruit gum, by the by, but you didn't hear that from me.


Mangosteens were also around in Chennai but I did not care for the texture very much -- hard to describe: too wet and weirdly fibrous. The taste was pleasant, sweet, and tropical, and nothing like an orange, no. They're also difficult to peel.


The fruit I really miss that I have never seen here is called a sapoda. They have the sandy texture of a pear, but more creamy and as sweet as brown sugar.

[Lateral]

The fruit I really miss that I have never seen here is called a sapoda. They have the sandy texture of a pear, but more creamy and as sweet as brown sugar.
Is this sapodilla (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manilkara_zapota) we're talking about? Because I've occasionally seen them in Asian or West Indian food stores, at least around here. I've been meaning to try one.

[Serpentine]

Mangosteens are AMAZING, sucks that they're so expensive. I'd say that texture wise they're kind of similar to lychees (which doesn't really help you, I realize), and the flavour is sweet and perfumed. Mmm... Damn, now I want mangosteen. They might be my favourite fruit. Only problem is sometimes they have yellow stuff inside when you peel them, that makes anything it touches incredibly bitter.

Lychees have a fairly thin layer of soft white flesh around a large shiny seed. There's often a sort of crispy shell-like layer around the seed that peels off with the flesh. I dislike that. But the flesh is... I never know how to describe flavours. Sweet, obviously. Slightly perfumed as well, I suppose. Rambutans are quite similar, but with hairy-tentacley things on the outside.

Are jackfruit related to durians? If so, people probably tend to dislike them for the same reason: the smell. They're pungent, to say the least. To me durians tasted like burnt custard. I'm not a fan, but my cousin who lives in Bali loves them.

[Tebryn]

Are jackfruit related to durians?

Nope......

[Kneenibble]

Is this sapodilla (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manilkara_zapota) we're talking about? Because I've occasionally seen them in Asian or West Indian food stores, at least around here. I've been meaning to try one.

The very same indeed! Holy smokes I can remember the taste vividly looking at a picture of its matte brown flesh. I am drooling.

Try it. You won't be disappointed.



Are jackfruit related to durians? If so, people probably tend to dislike them for the same reason: the smell. They're pungent, to say the least. To me durians tasted like burnt custard. I'm not a fan, but my cousin who lives in Bali loves them.

They're not related, but the concept of liminal grossness is a little similar (although I've never experienced a durian personally). Jackfruit have a funky edge to their taste and smell: I liked it a lot, but my other Canadian friends in Chennai despised it.

[Feytalist]

My co-worker describes a jackfruit as looking like "a shy hedgehog".

Just thought I'd mention that :smallbiggrin:

[Lateral]

My co-worker describes a jackfruit as looking like "a shy hedgehog".

Just thought I'd mention that :smallbiggrin:
Considering the visual similarity, I suppose that makes durian an angry porcupine. :smalltongue:

[Togath]

The market I was going to stocks Sapodilla as well.. I might give them a try when I go there.

[sktarq]

as for "weird" fruit if you can find a cherrymoya grab them. They are common in this part of Cali but not been able to find them elsewhere in the US (though that may have changed in the last few years) - they also seem to show up as "alien" fruit in TV and movies allot. They have the taste and similar texture when ripe to cherry ice cream.

[wingnutx]

Are jackfruit related to durians? If so, people probably tend to dislike them for the same reason: the smell.

Yes. Good, but stinky. We were banned from bringing them aboard the ship.