Kiwifruit? You know those? They were Chinese Gooseberries when they arrived on these shores.
Yams? Yeah well our yams aren't your yams...
You might call these oca if you call them anything at all.
And as for the tree tomatoes, I'm not sure anyone has yet commercialised these to the point of export. I saw them in a fruit shop in UK once in 30 years there and they were labelled simply "exotic fruit". No kidding!
They ripen here in late May and June. My brother, whose birthday is end of May, always requested them as birthday food. He still does. I'm living where I should be able to grow my own....here's hoping because I too prize these above all other "every day" fruits. In a world that can provide us with apples, bananas, oranges, even melons and pineapples all year round, it's nice to have the excitement and anticipation of waiting for something that is only available in it's season.
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteOh yes, Oca (coming from the full name of Oxalis Tuberosa), sold as a vegetable in OZ and UK. It's supposedly easily grown here, but I guess the market for it is yet to burgeon. My local greengrocer down under grew his own - along with lots of other slightly different tubers and fruits... it was through him that I first tasted tamarillos! Golly, the promise of your future garden brings salivation! YAM xx
Those "fruits' look like they should be moved right out of town, tomatoes gone off, and plump red grubs., I reckon that your brother can have ALL of them. But if we did not know what celeriac was- or parsnip would we be inclined to eat them based on looks?
ReplyDeleteSome people need other people to love their favorites - some sort of confirmation. I prefer that you hate them - all the more for me. This applies to persimmons, feijoas, avocado's, raspberries, tamarillos, perfectly ripened pineapples, pomegranates, and baked spuds with homemade garlic sauce and melted cheese . I grimace inwardly if I have to share.
DeleteYou have far more exotic growing choices than we do. I grow more spuds and leeks and cabbages and lots of onions than anything else. Smashing photos.
ReplyDeleteActually you could grow feijoas Dave - and they make great hedges. Hedges with benefits.
DeleteBut it is exotic...to us!
ReplyDeleteThe tamarillos look juicy and delicious, like guavas.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen these tomatoes anywhere, we have cherry tomatoes, in Kentucky called TommyToes, and I love them but they don't love me.... I agree, off the tree fruit is the best of all , hedges with benefits, love it
ReplyDeleteI don't miss tamarillos. My father always had trees of them. I think my grandmother made jam, or maybe wine with them. She turned everything into wine. She grew yams too. Again not my favourite.
ReplyDeleteI wish fruits and vege were only available when in season. It was like that 50 years ago when I first came to Greece. Cabbages and lettuces in winter and tomatoes in summer and you waited eagerly at the end of one season for the new fruit and vege to make its appearance. By the end of summer I did not want to see another greek salad. Cabbage and lettuce were actually exciting lol
My tamarillo only produced one or two fruits for two years. I thought maybe it needed to be planted into the ground. It’s since not produced at all!
ReplyDeleteOne of the few failures I’ve had.
I’d love to try again. My son loves them and we cannot buy them in the supermarkets at all.
Love roasted yams but tree tomatoes? ewww only because when I was growing up my aunt had a tree of them and she use to give my mum bags of them, every time we were hungry between meals mum would say have a tree tomato, so now I can't stand them.
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