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Pineapple, Mango, Papaya, Kiwi Fruit, Passion Fruit, Guava
Appears in
By Anne Willan
Published 1989
Most tropical fruits are treated alike, being ideal candidates for salads, whether of fruit or combined with shellfish, fish or poultry. Often special techniques are needed for peeling and extracting the flesh of tropical fruits. However, all purée well for sauce and make a rich base for sorbets and ice creams. When they are green and unripe, mango and papaya may even be cooked like a vegetable.
The best-known tropical fruit is the pineapple. When it was first seen by travellers to the New World, the British thought it resembled a pine cone, while the French named it ananas from the original Carib words nana memi, meaning “exquisite fruit”. The pineapple was first cultivated in Britain in the seventeenth century and in France in the eighteenth century. It was a luxury, since it needed to be ripened on the plant. Modern techniques of transport and storage have ensured that pineapples (and many other tropical fruits) are more available and may be eaten worldwide. Varieties differ slightly in size and color; some are greenish yellow, others a deep orange.