Tropical and exotic fruit

In Peck’s shop in via Spadari in Milan there is a counter which sells the best fruit and vegetables on the market, among them a wide selection of tropical and exotic fruit – from the most well-known such as the avocado to the most difficult to obtain such as the pitaya or the plantains.

Here is a short guide to help you in your choice.

>> Physalis alkekengi
This is a berry the size of a cherry. It is a yellowy-orange in colour and it doesn’t have a stone. The fruit is enclosed by a casing which looks like a heart-shaped Chinese lantern. The alkekengi is only edible from October to January – that is when it is perfectly ripe. It has a sweet taste which is sour at the same time. It combines particularly well with dark chocolate.

>> Avocado
This plant is originally from central America, but varieties, differing in shape and consistency, are cultivated in all the tropical countries An avocado can measure from 7 to 20 cm and the skin can be smooth or rough and of a colour which varies from bright green to dark brown. The buttery, delicate flesh has a very neutral flavour with a hint of hazlenuts. It is a highly calorific fruit which is particularly good for creating salad dishes.

>> Star fruit
This fruit comes from Sri Lanka. Its characteristic shape makes it unmistakable: it looks like a pale-yellow propeller, and its slices are star-shaped. Its appearance means that it is frequently used for decorating cocktails and desserts and it also has a pleasant fresh and sour taste, like a citrus fruit.

>> Cherimoya
This fruit comes from Peru and Ecuador, and ripens from October to December. It looks like a grey-green pine cone with velvety, facetted skin. Its flesh is creamy-white, sweet and juicy, of a slightly creamy consistency. It can be eaten as it is by cutting it in half and removing the inedible pips. Sprinkled in sugar and lemon juice its flavour vaguely resembles strawberries.

>> Durian
This fruit comes from a very big tree native of Malaysia and Indonesia. It remembles a big, oblong melon, covered in prickles and with an extremely hard rind, it has a whitish-coloured flesh which is divided into five segments with large seeds. The durian has a very unpleasant, nauseating smell, but the flavour of the flesh is exquisite and very complex – both sweet and spicy.

>> Passion fruit
This fruit comes from a plant of the passion flower family - a native of South America - which is also cultivated for ornamental purposes. There are two varieties of this fruit: the "Granadilla", with a bright yellow-orange skin, and the "Maracuja", with a reddy-purple skin. The flesh is comprised of hundreds of very tiny seeds which are held together by a highly perfumed and juicy gelatine. The flavour is sweet and at the same time acidy.

>> Lychee
This fruit is also known as the Chinese cherry in Italy. The individual fruits are grouped in bunches and held by long stalks. They are a bit bigger than a cherry but the internal flesh is similar and there is a large stone. The flesh is white, translucent and juicy and the fruit emits a perfume similar to roses. It is particularly enjoyable in fruit salads.

>> Mango
This fruit is grown in almost all the tropical countries, although there are noticeable differences in the quality and varieties. It is one of the most pleasant tropical fruits: the flesh is an intense yellow in colour and it is very sweet and perfumed, with a resinous aftertaste. It is on sale all year round, but it should be used only when it is very ripe. It is certainly one of the most used tropical fruits in pastry and cake-making and has the advantage of there being very little waste.

>> Papaya
This fruit comes originally from central America, but it is widely found in many tropical countries. The papaya fruit resembles a rugby ball; the skin is yellow-orange when the fruit is ripe and the very deep coloured flesh is soft like that of a melon. It has a very delicate flavour which is sweet and fresh and when accentuated by lemon juice and sugar, it is very thirst-quenching; it goes very well with ham.

>> Pitaya
This fruit looks like a prickly pear and its shape is similar to a pine-cone covered in tiny thorns. The flesh can be white or red depending on the variety and studded with tiny black edible seeds like those of a kiwi. It is tender and aromatic and it is eaten in its natural state, with just a little sugar and lemon juice, or it is used in cocktails.

>> Rambutan
This is a plant from Malaysia with fruit which resemble lychees. Like lychees they grow in bunches, but the skin is covered in soft thorns which make it look like a hedgehog. The flesh is white and transparent, sweet and juicy.