Apples and oranges and Dragonfruit, o my!

 
One of the things i love about living in this part of the world: the fruit and veg section of the local grocers. Thank goodness Carrefour finally posted pictures of various Indian fruit and veg, with the thing's name, or i'd still be wondering what most of it is.

I still don't know what most of it is for.

When we first arrived, my husband had a bowl full of mangosteens waiting for us to try. Lovely brown round bellies full of fruit pods that were sweet, white, voluptuous on the tongue. I was in heaven, and instantly added it to the roster of fruits I can't live without. In season, of course. Lytchees, an entire stand full of the dusty crimson-coloured fruit, are an excuisite treat; this past Christmas season found us camping in the Empty Quarter somewhere past the Liwa, contentedly roasting marshmallows and passing round a bag of ripe lychee fruits. Note to self: do not throw lytchee seeds into the fire. they explode.

The melons here have me all mixed up. Rock melons are canteloupes I think, and sweet melons are like honeydew, but not... because they look just like canteloupe on the outside. imagine my surprise when I cut my first sweet melon open and discovered pale green flesh and a sweet, slightly smokey flavour. Peaches are in from Jordan, now, but they didn't make the trip: overblown, smashed, but flinging peachy goodness at our nostrils as far away as the yoghurt aisle. Watermelon from Iran is the sweetest I've eaten since Maine. Al Ain strawberries are small and intensely sweet.

But the fruit that has me stumped is the dragonfruit. Lovely to look at, it was terrifically disappointing when all was said and done. It has no flavour. the seeds are somewhat amusing, and i bet it would make a dramatic looking sorbet, but as a sit down in the kitchen and find yourself in heaven kind of fruit, it just fails.

Though I hear you can grow a lovely succulent if you plant the seeds. Seems all this dragonfruit of mine is good for.