MANGOSTEEN Garcinia mangostana
Other names: Mangis
Intro: Known as the “Queen of Tropical Fruits”. Despite their name they have nothing to do with mangoes. Care should be taken when eating fruit as the skin pigment can stain.
History: Originated from Southeast Asia.
Shape: Round.
Weight/size: The fruit is ranges from about 4 to 8cm in diameter
Colour: Leathery skin that is deep purple when ripe. The flesh is pearly white and divided into five to seven segments.
Taste: Subtle delicate sweet acid taste that melts in the mouth.
Buying/storage: Mangosteens do not ripen further once harvested. Choose fruits that have no skin imperfections or major discolouration. Fresh green stem indicates good quality fruit. Avoid if fruit is very hard. Fruit should yield when pressed gently. It will keep for a few days without refrigeration. Storage at 10ºC is ideal and extends shelf life to about 20 days. Refrigeration causes cold damage. To minimise this wrap fruit in newspaper and store it in the upper part of the refrigerator.
Preparing/serving: Mangosteens are best eaten fresh. Eat them just as they are or add to fruit salads. To open, the simplest method is to place the mangosteen in the palm of your hand with the stem on top, and use your fingers to exert gentle pressure on the upper half until the shell opens. Another option is to cut through the diameter of the shell all the way around, and then simply lift off the top and spoon out the flesh of the fruit.
This gives a very attractive presentation, ideal for desserts etc. Just remember not to cut through the segments. They are an exotic addition to champagne or sparkling wine.
Variety: High in calcium, phosphorus and Vitamin B and C.

MARANG Artocarpus odoratissimus
Other names: Tarap
History: Native of South East Asia
Shape: The fruit is oblong in shape.
Weight/size: Typically about 20cm long
Colour: Greenish yellow when ripe and covered in soft short spines.
Taste: The fruit has a strong aroma. The flesh is very sweet and juicy.
Buying/storage: The skin turns from green to a more yellow colour when the fruit is ripe. The short spines become rigid and brittle when fruit is ripe and should snap when bent.
Preparing/serving: Ripe fruit is opened by cutting the rind around the middle of the fruit and gently pulling the halves apart. Another way to open is to hold onto the stalk and peel back skin like a banana. Once the fruit is opened, it must be eaten within a few hours, as the flesh discolours quickly and flavour deteriorates. The seeds can be roasted and eaten.

PAPAYA / PAW PAW Carica papaya
Intro: Mother Nature’s treasure chest. Very high in nutrients. The skin and flesh of unripe papaya can be used to tenderise cheaper cuts of meat. The smooth skin is inedible. Young leaves are cooked and eaten like spinach.
History: Originates from Central America.
Shape: Varies depending on variety, but mostly round, pear-shaped or oval.
Weight/size: Measure, from 10cm to 50cm and can weigh between 200g to more than 3kg.
Colour: Green when unripe and turns deep yellow or orange when ripe. Fruit has yellow or orange flesh, depending on variety, which is firm in texture. There is an abundance of edible black seeds.
Taste: Soft, juicy, and sweet tasting.
Buying/storage: Papayas bruise easily, so do not buy if the skin is damaged. Unripe fruit should be left at room temperature to ripen. Ripe fruit can be kept in refrigerator for five to seven days.
Preparing/serving: To eat, fresh simply cut the fruit in half lengthwise and scoop out the seed. Can be added to fruit salads, made into ice cream and sorbets. It also goes well with cured meats and savoury dishes, like curries. Green unripe papaya can be used as a vegetable, cooked similarly to zucchini. Grated green papaya is great in salads. Can also be juiced.
Variety: Hawaiian solo, PNG Red, Yellow - 11B, 1B and other selections.

PASSIONFRUIT Passiflora edulis
Intro: Passionfruit takes its name from its exotic flower, which is said to symbolize the Passion of Christ. Contrary to popular belief, passionfruits do not have to be wrinkled to be ripe.
History: Native to South America.
Shape: Round to oval
Weight/size: Diameter may vary between 4-6cm.
Colour: Range in colour from yellow to purple with leathery skin. The pulp is greenish orange.
Taste: Distinctive sour-sweet taste.
Buying/storage: Choose fruits that feel heavy for their size. Passionfruit may be stored at room temperature for up to two weeks or refrigerated for up to a month. Storing in a plastic bag will prevent the fruit from dehydrating. The pulp freezes and stores very well.
Preparing/serving: To eat fresh, simply cut the fruit in half and scoop out the pulp and seeds with a spoon. Both are edible, but the pulp can be strained to make a refreshing drink. Strained fruit can also be made into ice-cream and sorbets. Passionfruit enhances the
flavour of all other fruits and makes a delicious topping for a pavlova or cheesecake.
Variety: Yellow, Purple, and Red.

“Makes a delicious topping on pavlova or cheesecake”

PERSIMMON Diospyros kaki
Other names: Fuji Fruit, Sharon Fruit, Kaki Fruit.
Intro: In Japan, where it is called kaki, it is the national fruit and the name means “Food of the Gods”. It was introduced into Queensland in the 1800s.
History: The persimmon is native to Japan and China.
Shape: Round to heart-shaped.
Weight/size: Typically range from 6 – 9cm in diameter.
Colour: Bright orange when ripe, thin skinned with an orange flesh.
Taste: There are two types of fruit, Astringent and Non-astringent. The astringent fruit has soft mushy flesh when ripe and is flatter in shape with distinct jelly-like segments. The non astringent variety has crisp flesh and is more round in shape. In both varieties, the flesh is sweet tasting.
Buying/storge: Choose firm, glossy plump fruit, free from blemishes.
Ripen at room temperature. Will store in refrigerator for up to a week.
Preparing/serving: Best eaten fresh. Can be used sliced in salads or made into jam and cakes. Good accompaniment to pork, lamb or chicken.
Variety: Fuyu and Jiro.

PINEAPPLE Annas comosus
Intro: Introduced into Far North Queensland in the Bloomfield area, near Cooktown, over 100 years ago.
The pineapple plant is a member of the Bromeliad family. Pineapple juice can be used as a gargle to relieve a sore throat and as an antidote for seasickness.
History: Originates from Brazil.
Shape: Oval in shape.
Weight/size: Can measure 30cm or more in height.
Colour: Range from green to gold.
Taste: Sweet and juicy.
Buying/storage: When choosing a fruit, look for a clean stem break at the base of the fruit. Does not continue to ripen once picked.
Preparing/serving: Best eaten fresh. Simply cut off the top and bottom and slice into wedges, then eat the flesh away from the skin. Alternatively, the whole fruit may be peeled and then cut. The flesh can be juiced, frozen or dried. The hollowed out fruit makes an excellent cocktail holder.
Variety: Smooth and Rough Leaf.

PITAYA Hylocereus spp.
Other names: Dragon Fruit, Pithaya.
Intro: The fruit of a cactus.
History: Originates from Central and South America.
Shape: Oblong.
Weight/size: Typically weighs around 150-600g and is about 150mm long.
Colour: Fruits are brightly coloured and have a pink and green skin, which is unique in appearance. The pulp is white or a vivid red and contains many small black edible seeds, which add an appealing crunch.
Taste: The flesh is sweet and refreshing with a slightly acidic melon-like flavour.
Buying/storage: Best eaten ripe. A pitaya should give a little when gently squeezed. The fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Preparing/serving: Best eaten chilled and sprinkled with lemon or lime juice to enhance the flavour. Cut in half lengthways then scoop out flesh. May be cut to suit needs. Highly decorative on a fruit platter or as a garnish. The shell of the fruit can be used as an unusual serving dish.
Variety: Yellow with white flesh, red with white flesh or red fleshed.
Nutrition: Rich in Vitamin C and dietary fibre.

PULUSAN
Other names: Nephelium mutabile
Description: The pulasan is a little larger than a rambutan, and appearance and eating quality is very similar. The rambutans has soft spines, whereas pulasan is covered with little rubbery studs.
Food Uses: The flesh of ripe fruits is eaten raw or made into jam. Boiled or roasted seeds are used to prepare a cocoa-like beverage.
Other Uses: Oil: The dried seed kernels yield 74.9% of a solid, white fat, melting at 104º to 107.6º F (40º-42º C), to a faintly perfumed oil.

PUMMELO (Pomelo) Citrus grandis
Other names: Shaddock
Intro: Largest of all citrus fruit. Has been grown in Asia for over 4,000 years. It is know as the mother of all citrus. Early varieties introduced into FNQ tended to have a very large fruit with a very thick skin. The new selections have thinner skin with a more reddish flesh.
History: Originates from China.
Shape: The pummelo may be spherical or pear-shaped.
Weight/size: Typically measures between 12cm - 30cm in diameter and weighs between 900g to 6kg.
Colour: A very large citrus fruit with a thick, fragrant, green, yellow, or pink skin. Maybe smooth or rough in texture.
Taste: Sweet and juicy without the bitterness of grapefruit.
Buying/storage: Look for fruit that has a bright, smooth evenly-coloured skin
with no obvious blemishes or soft spots and feels heavy for its size. Can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The fruit develops sugars when left at room temperature for one to two months.
Preparing/serving: Eaten fresh. The fruit is served after removing and peeling the individual segments. The rind can be crystallized with sugar solutions to make a sweet. Also makes an excellent juice.
Variety: Carter Red, Thai Pink, Bosworth Pink and other selections.

SALAK
Description: One of the few plants bearing a truly excellent dessert fruit. It is a small, very prickly palm with fruit being roughly pear shaped, with pointed ends and covered in an attractive scaly skin.
Preparing/serving: Generally eaten fresh but can be pickled or hot packed into syrup. Apple texture and pineapple sweetness gives good possibilities in pies etc.

SOURSOP Annona muricata
Other names: Guanabana.
Intro: A member of the custard apple family. It’s characterised by a strong tangy flavour. Superb dessert fruit.
Soursop leaves are regarded as having sedative properties. In the Netherlands, the leaves are put into pillowslips or strewn on the bed to promote a good night's sleep.
History: Originated in the West Indies and the Americas.
Shape: The fruit is oval or heart-shaped
Weight/size: Typically ranges from 10-30cm long and up to 15cm in width, and the weigh between 1kg - 6kg.
Colour: Green soft spiky skin with white flesh.
Taste: The taste, as the name applies, is sweet acid.
Buying/storage: The tips break off easily when the fruit is fully ripe. The skin is dark-green in the immature fruit, becoming slightly yellowish-green before the mature fruit becomes soft to the touch. Sounds hollow on
tapping when fully ripe.
Preparing/serving: Best eaten fresh. Pulp freezes well. Very juicy, and produces a rich creamy juice which is very
refreshing. The seeded pulp may be torn or cut into bits and added to fruit cups or salads, or chilled and served as dessert with sugar and a little milk or cream. Soursop pulp dries very well and makes a good base when mixed with other fruits for fruit roll-ups. Immature soursops can be cooked as vegetables or used in soup.
Variety: Cuban Fibreless and other common selections.

STAR APPLE Chrysophyllum cainito
Other names: Caimito, Cainito.
History: Originates from the West Indies.
Shape: The fruit is round in shape.
Weight/size: Size varies from 4 to 8cm in diameter.
Colour: All green skinned when immature, the purple variety develops to a deep purple skin when ripe and the green variety develops to a light golden green skin. May have up to 10 flattened seeds.
Taste: The flesh is sweet and tastes very smooth and aromatic.
Buying/storing: Look for smooth, bright, shiny fruit with no skin damage. Can be stored at room temperature up to a week and in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The pulp can also be frozen. Blended pulp will set like jelly when stored in refrigerator.
Preparing/serving: Star apples must not be bitten into. The skin and rind are inedible. When opening a star
apple, do not allow any of the bitter latex of the skin to contact the edible flesh. The ripe fruit, preferably chilled, may be cut in half and the flesh spooned out, leaving the seed cells and core. Cutting in half produces an attractive star pattern. Makes a nice drink when mixed with orange. Excellent in milkshakes.
Variety: Purple (Haitian and Griemeil) and Green.

TARO
Description: This potato-like root can range in length from 5 inches to over a foot long. The flesh is often creamy white or pale pink and sometimes becomes purple-tinged once cooked.
Taste: Taro Root, though not very flavorful raw, has a nutty cooked flavor and is easy to digest.
Preparing/serving: Used much like a potato, Taro Root can be boiled, fried, or baked while the edible leaves may be steamed and used like spinach. To prepare, peel Taro Root with a vegetable peeler under running water to avoid any sensitivity to its sticky juices. Taro leave are also used as a wrapper for steamed foods.
Buying/storage: When selecting Taro look for firm, brown-skinned roots with rings. Avoid soft spots or patches. Leaves should be fresh and bright green. Remove leaves just before using roots and save for later use. Store Taro Root as you would a potato. The leaves should be refrigerated and used within one week. Keep covered with water (in a bowl or pan) until ready to use.

VANILLA BEAN
Description: This subtle and unique spice is the world's most popular flavouring for cakes, sweets, ice-creams, drinks etc. as well as an ingredient in cosmetics, perfumes and air fresheners.

A few interesting facts about vanilla

A few drops of vanilla in a can of paint will help eliminate unpleasant odors!

A vanilla bean under your car seat gives a fresh aroma and helps eliminate musty odors.

A teaspoon or so of vanilla in Italian tomato sauces or Mexican chili helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes!

The United States consumption of vanilla beans is approximately 1,200 tons per year!

In baking, cream the vanilla with the shortening or butter portion of the ingredients. The fat encapsulates the vanilla, preventing it from volatilizing in the baking process.

Vanilla beans are hand-pollinated, on family plantations.

The entire vanilla cultivation process, from planting to market, can take from five to six years!

Other exotics tropical fruits/vegetables grown in Far North Queensland include:
Lemonade Fruit
Dabi
Rainforest Bush foods
Yam Bean
Tamarind
Pecans
Olives
Jicama
Asian Tropical Spices
Chompadee
Acerola
Velvet Apple
Curry leaves
Santol
Cassava
Wax Jambu (Wax Apple, Java Apple, Malay Apple)

This list is by no means comprehensive.