The supply of fruits in Israel has become very diverse over the years with the introduction of many tropical fruits of various kinds. These fruits, which were previously unknown to the average Israeli, are now sold in almost every vegetable or market. But let's face it, often when we encounter such a fruit, we simply have no idea how to eat it, when it is ripe and what it tastes like. This makes us not give it up time after time despite its special taste and high nutritional values. So we went out to the shin to test some of these fruits, to find out how they were eaten and how they should be handled.
Papaya salad. With lots of peanuts, photo: Assaf Carla
Annona
The first fruit we analyzed was Annona. A large, green fruit with a thorny outer appearance and white and creamy flesh. Its appearance must often alienate many buyers, who end up missing a fruit with a very special taste.
In order to eat the fruit, we had to remove its peel and eat the soft inside, which must be separated from prominent black seeds that have toxicity. The fruit is sweet and slightly tart, has a tropical hue and is reminiscent of a combination of pineapple, pear and strawberry. Its texture is special and unexpected. Its inside is juicy, bitey, soft and slightly spongy.
If you want to buy Annona, you should know how to distinguish between ripe and unripe fruit. A ripe Annona will be yellowish-green with a slightly wrinkled shell. The fruit should also be soft to the touch when the inside itself is pale yellow. Green fruit, on the other hand, is a fruit that has not yet ripened. It is important to know that the ripe fruit should be eaten within a few days when it is kept refrigerated. Finally, it is interesting to note that the Annona tree has at least a hundred different species around the world and most of them are fit for human consumption. If you're in a hurry, you might still be able to find it in the markets – it's available during the summer and autumn seasons.
Annona, Photo: GettyImages
papaya
Another fruit that exists in many greengrocers and is available throughout the year is papaya, an interesting tropical fruit that has been found in Israel for years and there are still Israelis who have never tasted it due to lack of knowledge. So how should it be treated and how should it be eaten?
In fact, papaya fruit should be eaten like melon. That is, cross the ripe papaya, take out the seeds inside it and then eat. Its taste, when ripe, is sweet and reminiscent of ripe melon, mango or sweet boiled carrots. But in order to achieve this taste, it is necessary to identify a ripe fruit and not buy an unripe fruit whose inside is bitter. Therefore, papaya should be bought with its peel not green, but orange or yellow.
The ripe fruit also has a smell reminiscent of raspberries, peach or melon. However, as soon as the smell of the fruit is too sweet, it is already overripe and it is better not to buy it.
Papaya, Photo: GettyImages
Pijoa
Pijoa is also very common in Israel, but many do not know how to identify such a fruit when it is ripe, so they avoid eating it. Here, too, this is a real loss, because the fruit has a very unique taste that combines sweetness with sourness and a wonderful fragrant aroma.
Identifying a ripe pijoa is relatively easy. It is a fruit that is light green in color and is slightly soft to the touch. It will be transparent and will have protruding seeds. On the other hand, fruit with white inner flesh is not yet ripe and should be set aside and wait for it to ripen, which can also be done at home. Do not buy fruit with bruises or blackened parts, as it will probably be a fruit that has already passed its peak ripeness and is too ripe. Of the four, the Pijoa is only available in the spring – and we can't wait anymore.
Pejua, Photo: GettyImages
Carambola
Another fruit that most of us find difficult to decide whether to eat or not is the carambola, which is available all year round. Unfortunately, most of the time the purchase is disappointing because it tastes sour rather than sweet. However, in fact, the taste of ripe fruit is a kind of combination of apple, pear, grape and berry flavors, i.e. a sweet and stimulating taste.
Carambola, Photo: Liron Almog
The secret is to identify the fruit when it is ripe and eat it only in this state. Here, it is necessary to distinguish green fruit from yellow fruit with brown stripes in the ribs. The green fruit is tart and not tasty. Which puts many of us off acquiring it. In the case of buying green fruit, let it ripen until it acquires the red color with brown stripes on its ribs. In this ideal state, it will have its special sweetness. The fruit, by the way, has a jasmine smell that also makes it possible to identify its ripeness.
The ripe carambola can only be stored in the refrigerator for 4-7 days. After that, its taste changes for the worse.
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us