CARAMBOLA (STAR FRUIT): Native to Southeast Asia, but also grown in Florida and Hawaii. It can be tangy-sweet or lemony-tart with a light refreshing flavor, depending on the variety. Sometimes sugar spots develop along the ridges, but that should not compromise the flavor of the fruit.
CHERIMOYA: Mostly available in the winter. Native to South and Central America, this fruit has a juicy, creamy white flesh, with a custard-like flavor that has a hint of pineapples, papayas and mangoes. The fruit is ripe wheb the skin begins to turn black.
DURIAN: Can be eaten fresh, used in desserts or cooked with rice. It has a sweet pulpy flesh, that can sometimes exude an unpleasant odor. When removed from the skin, the yellowish white flesh becomes less pungent.
FEIJOAS: This small egg-shaped fruit has slightly bumpy skin and a granular, creamy-tan flesh. The flavor is a mixture of pineapple and spearment. It is best to choose fruits with perfumey fragrance and some give. Sometimes it is confused with guava.
GUAVA: Guavas can be green or yellow and can come pear shaped or oval. The flesh can be white, yellow, red, or dark pink. The flavor may vary, sometimes tasting like pineapple, strawberry, or banana.
JACKFRUIT: This native of Malaysia and India is the world's largest tree fruit, with some weighing as much as 90lbs. The flesh can be white, creamy, or pink. The flavor is a little sweet and fruity, with a touch of spiciness.
KIWANO (HORNED MELON): Native to Africa, but commercially grown in New Zealand and California. It is usually eaten fresh. The flavor resembles a cucumber and lime.
MANGOES: Mangoes can be eaten fresh, used in desserts, or cooked with meats and stir-fry. Popular varieties include Haden, Keitt, Kent, Tommmy Atkins, and Ataulfo.
Ataulfo (Manila Mangoe): This small mangoe has an oblong and flat shape. The skin ripens to a full yellow. It has very high yield for it's size because the pit is very small and flat.
Green Thai Mangoe: This is the variety used in Asian mangoe salads.
Haden: Yellow skin with a crimson blush. Has a sweet flesh with medium fiber.
Kent: Thick, plump fruit with a soft fiberless flesh. The skin sometimes remain green even when the fruit is ripe.
Keitt: This variety is usually on the large side. The skin is green with a yellow blush.
Tommy Atkins: Oval to oblong shaped with a rounded tip. The flesh is firm and very fiberous.
Green (Cooking Papaya): This large green papaya has a pale white flesh. It is often used in Asian style salads and slaws. It can also be cooked like a squash.
Kapcho (Yellow-Orange Flesh): This is the most widely grown variety in Hawaii
Sunrise/Strawberry (Reddish-Orange Flesh): This is the major exported papaya cultivar in the world.
Mexican (Maradol): These large papayas have orange to reddish flesh. It is not as sweet as the smaller varieties of papayas.
PASSION FRUIT: The aromatic pulpy flesh has a very strong, concentrated flavor that is lemony-tart, but also sweet. It is usually used in desserts. The skin wrinkles as the fruit ripens and starts to loose moisture. This will not affect the quality of the fruit though.
PEPINO MELON: Sometimes called a melon pear, this fruit is sweet with a cantaloupe and pear flavor. It is native to the South American Andeas, but is commercially grown in New Zealand. Eat fresh in fruit salads.
PINEAPPLES: Pineapples are available year-round, peaking from March through June. The fruit only ripens on the bush and does not ripen any further once picked. The outer color does not indicate the ripeness of the fruit.
SAPOTE: Native to Mexico and Central America. There are actually many varieties; differing in color, shape and taste. Depending on the variety, the flavor can vary. It can taste like any combination of: peachs, lemons, coconut, mangoes and vanilla.
TAMARIND: This fruit is available year-round from New Mexico, florida, Jamaica, Haiti, Grenada and Mexico. It is used to flavor drinks, sauces, glazes, curries, and preserves.