Orange Berry
Family: Rutaceae •Genus: Glycosmis •
Species: trifoliata •
Country of Origin: Australia •
Common Names: Orange Berry, Gin Berry •
This was my favorite find of the day, it's called Orange Berry even though the berries aren't orange nor do they taste like an orange. It is in the same family as citrus, though. Actually the fruit tasted more like honey and gin. I really enjoyed the taste, sweet and aromatic. What info I could find on this species says that it can start bearing fruit when it reaches 2 feet high. It is a small shrubby tree that can grow to 15 feet high. The pink berries and glossy foliage make this a must have. One site reports that "The stems are reported to be largely used as toothbrushes in eastern Bengal on account of their fibrous nature and slightly astringent, bitter taste. Their constant use is said not only to clean teeth but also to keep them strong." [1]
*no reliable food value available
Mangosteen
Family: Clusiaceae •Genus: Garcinia •
Species: mangostana •
Country of Origin: Malay Archipelago •
Common Names: Mangosteen, Mangostan •
This is a slow growing tree that can reach 20 to 80 feet depending on the growing conditions. The Mangosteen is ultra-tropical. It cannot tolerate temperatures below 40ºf. It's called the "queen of fruits". Although, I've had it before and I wouldn't call it the "queen of fruits". Don't get me wrong, it is way better than the average fruits I've grown up with. Just not as good as some of the fruits I've tasted at the RFVC. It is esteemed in most parts of the world but relative unknown until recently. Now every "snake oil salesman" claims their miracle juice contains Mangosteen. Seriously though, our government needs to do more to allow imports of these great tropical fruits! I'd love to have a bag of Mangosteens on my table instead of apples. This is one of only a handful of trees growing in the United States.
| Food Value Per 100 g of Edible Portion* | |
| Calories | 60-63 |
| Moisture | 80.2-84.9 g |
| Protein | 0.50-0.60 g |
| Fat | 0.1-0.6 g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 14.3-15.6 g |
| Total Sugars | 16.42-16.82 g |
| (sucrose, glucose and fructose) | |
| Fiber | 5.0-5.1 g |
| Ash | 0.2-0.23 g |
| Calcium | 0.01-8.0 mg |
| Phosphorus | 0.02-12.0 mg |
| Iron | 0.20-0.80 mg |
| Thiamine | 0.03 mg |
| Ascorbic Acid | 1.0-2.0 mg |
Monkey Pot
Family: Lecythidaceae •Genus: Lecythis •
Species: sp. (elliptica?) •
Country of Origin: Brazil •
Common Names: Monkey Pot, Paradise Nut, Cream Nut •
Native to Brazil. This is one of the smaller species, though I'm not sure which one possibly L. elliptica? Murray C. was saying that natives use the shells to trap monkeys! I hear that this nut is comparable or better than a Brazil nut. It would be cool to grow just for the interesting fruit as far as I'm concerned!
*no reliable food value available
Pereskia bleo
Family: Cactaceae •
Genus: Pereskia •
Species: bleo •
Country of Origin: Tropical America •
Common Names: Rose Cactus, Wax Rose •
This and the following species are unlike most other cacti because they have true leaves. They also have really unusual fruits and each species is unique. This species can grow up to 9 feet tall and has amazing red rose like flowers. The fruits are oddly shaped you can see them here http://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/perescia_bleo.htm
*no reliable food value available
Barbados gooseberry
Family: Cactaceae •Genus: Pereskia •
Species: aculeata •
Country of Origin: Tropical America •
Common Names: Barbados Gooseberry •
This fruit is just as odd. It is a yellow marble sized berry with calyx remnants sticking out of the fruit. They are easily wiped off and the fruit is said to be slightly sour and very tasty. This plant can reach up to 33 feet according to 'Fruits of Warm Climates'.
Food Value Per 100 g of Edible Portion
| Fruit | Leaves | |
| Moisture | 91.4 g | |
| Protein | 1.0 g | |
| Fat | 0.7 g | 6.8-11.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6.3 g | |
| Fiber | 0.7 g | 9.1-9.6 g |
| Ash | 0.6 g | 20.1-21.7 g |
| Calcium | 174 mg | 2.8-3.4 mg |
| Phosphorus | 26 mg | 1.8-2.0 mg |
| Iron | Trace | |
| Vitamin A | 3,215 I.U. | |
| Thiamine | 0.03 mg | |
| Riboflavin | 0.03 mg | |
| Niacin | 0.9 mg | |
| Ascorbic Acid | 2 mg | |
| Magnesium | 1.2-1.5 mg | |
| Amino acid per 100 g Protein: | ||
| Arginine | 5.00-5.36 g | |
| Histidine | 2.49-2.54 g | |
| Isoleucine | 3.78-4.23 g | |
| Leucine | 6.99-8.03 g | |
| Lysine | 5.32-5.43 g | |
| Methionine | 1.72-2.03 g | |
| Phenylanine | 5.06-5.08 g | |
| Threonine | 3.09-3.60 g | |
| Valine | 4.78-5.52 g |
Mabolo
Family: Ebenaceae •Genus: Diospyros •
Species: blancoi •
Country of Origin: •
Common Names: Mabolo, Velvet Apple •
This member of the Ebony family is a large tree that can reach 60 to 100 feet. Its fruit is furry and smells alot like Brie cheese. The experts say you can eliminate the smell by removing the skin. I thought it had a crunchy texture and the taste is sort of bland if you ask me. Granted, I haven't tasted one in three or four years. Most fruits each tree produces different tasting fruits(sometimes only slightly). It is grown as an ornamental in some places and with it's black furrowed trunk, fuzzy red fruit, and beautiful foliage it is an interesting sight!
Food Value Per 100 g of Edible Portion*
| Ordinary type | Seedless type | |
| Calories | 504 | |
| Moisture | 77.80 g | 71.95-86.04 g |
| Protein | 0.75 g | 0.82-2.79 g |
| Fat | 0.22-0.38 g | |
| Carbohydrates | (other) 5.49-6.12 g | |
| Sugar | 11.47 g | (reducing) 6.25-18.52 g |
| Fiber | 0.74-1.76 g | |
| Ash | 0.83 g | 0.43-1.08 g |
| Sulphuric Acid | 0.11 g | |
| Malic Acid | 0.16 g | |
| Phytin | - | 3.26% (on dry basis) |
Araçá-boi
Family: Myrtaceae •
Genus: Eugenia •
Species: stipitata •
Country of Origin: Brazil •
Common Names: Araçá-boi, Arazá •
This is a small tree that can reach 8 to 10 feet. It's native to Brazil. My knowledge on this plant is limited to it's country of origin. So I'll share an excerpt from (I did edit it a bit)
Neglected Crops: 1492 from a Different Perspective. 1994. J.E. Hernándo Bermejo and J. León (eds.)
"Arazá is used to make juices, soft drinks, ice-cream, preserves and desserts. The fruit is rarely eaten raw because of its acidity (pH 2.4 in the case of the juice). Unlike Camu Camu (Myrciaria dubia), more than 20 percent of the fruits fresh weight is represented by 2 percent of ascorbic acid. Arazá's potential is due to its intrinsic characteristics as a fruit: pleasant flavor, color, texture and smell. The nutritional value of Arazá is very similar to oranges, with the exception of the vitamin C content is more than double in Arazá". [2]
*no reliable food value available
Barbados Cherry
Family: Malpighiaceae •Genus: Malpighia •
Species: glabra •
Country of Origin: Lesser Antilles •
Common Names: Barbados Cherry, Acerola •
This is a small tree that can reach 20 feet. It has beautiful little flowers followed by a tart and tasty fruit. This has been touted as a wonder fruit by many because it has one of the highest levels of vitamin c in any fruit containing 1,677 mg vitamin C per/100 grams of fruit. Only Camu Camu (Myrciaria dubia) @ 2,700 mg, Kakadu Plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) @ 2300 to 3150 mg, and Rosehip (Rosa sp.) cv.'Vitaminnyj-VNIVI' @ 2,000 to 2,500 mg have more [3] I'd highly recommend this tree because of the beautiful flowers and fruit. I know when the RFVC has their plant sale these fly out of the nursery. It is truly a favorite of people from the Caribbean.
| Food Value Per 100 g of Edible Portion* | |
| Calories | 59 |
| Moisture | 81.9-91.10 g |
| Protein | 0.68-1.8 g |
| Ether Extract | 0.19-0.09 g |
| Fiber | 0.60-1.2 g |
| Fat | 0.18-0.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 6.98-14.0 g |
| Ash | 0.77-0.82 g |
| Calcium | 8.2-34.6 mg |
| Phosphorus | 16.2-37.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.17-1.11 mg |
| Carotene | 0.003-0.408 mg |
| (Vitamin A) | 408-1000 I.U. |
| Thiamine | 0.024-0.040 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.038-0.079 mg |
| Niacin | 0.34-0.526 mg |
| Ascorbic Acid** |
Taro Black Variety
Family: Araceae •
Genus: Colocasia •
Species: esculenta •
Country of Origin: Malaysia •
Common Names: Black Taro, Dasheen, Arrow Root •
This may be the hybrid 'Black Magic' I'm not sure. This is in the aroid family which includes Anthurium's and Peace Lily's just to name a few. This is what Hawaiians use to make poi.
Taro is a tropical plant grown primarily as a vegetable food for its edible corm, and secondarily as a leaf vegetable. It is considered a staple in oceanic cultures. It is believed to be one of the earliest cultivated plants. In its raw form the plant is toxic due to the presence of calcium oxalate, although the toxin is destroyed by cooking or it can be removed by steeping taro roots in cold water overnight. [4]
It's also considered an invasive species in Florida. All parts of taro can cause stomach aches if ingested without cooking. Contact with the sap can irritate sensitive skin. [5]
*no reliable food value available
Ceriman
Family: Araceae •Genus: Monstera •
Species: deliciosa •
Country of Origin: •
Common Names: Ceriman •
This is another aroid that is grown as an ornamental and most people don't realize that the fruit is edible. The spadix turns into a green compound fruit that becomes edible once the "scales" become loose. 'Fruits of Warm Climates' says "the fully ripe pulp is like a blend of pineapple and banana" I haven't tasted this fruit yet. Looks like my opportunity will be coming soon!!!
*no reliable food value available
[1] http://users.kymp.net/citruspages/distantrelatives.html#glycosmis
[2] http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/1492/myrtaceae.html#Araza
[3] http://www.naturalhub.com/natural_food_guide_fruit_vitamin_c
[4] htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro
[5] http://www.floridata.com/ref/C/colo_esc.cfm
Rare Fruit & Vegetable Council of Broward County (part 2) by Eric Bronson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
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