5 Tropical Fruits to Discover and Cook With

Tropical fruits can be found at the grocery store more and more often these days. Their unique shapes and bright colours are eye-catching and make you want to try them out. However, it’s possible to not know how to cook with them. Here are five tropical fruits from Flavours of the World that you can find in the produce section and the various ways to use them.

Dragon Fruit

The dragon fruit comes from a cactus. Its pink skin, covered in scales, and white or pink flesh with small seeds truly make it stand out. It has a subtle flavour that allows it to be used in a variety of recipes, making it perfect for smoothies, fruit salad, or to simply accompany a white fish or power bowl.

Persimmon

The persimmon may look like a tomato, but it has the aromas of vanilla and pear. Since it can be astringent when unripe, and therefore drying in the mouth, it’s best to wait until the persimmon is fully ripe with its flesh soft before eating it. It’s very sweet, and can be enjoyed as is, or added to salads as you would a tomato. It also makes a perfect chutney to go with poultry, or can be added to desserts.

Papaya

With its green skin, orange flesh and black seeds, papaya can be a pleasant surprise. Its lightly sweet flavour is similar to cantaloupe and mango. For breakfast, it pairs well with oatmeal or granola, and can also be enjoyed as an appetizer, either wrapped in prosciutto or in a fresh salad.

Passion Fruit

This fruit is recognizable by its egg shape and concentrated flavour, both sweet and very tart. The best way to prepare it is by adding it to a dessert, like a sorbet, and it pairs well with cream and ricotta-style white cheeses. It can also enhance cocktails and brighten salad dressings.

Chayote

This green and fleshy fruit, native to Latin America, is surprisingly part of the squash family. Although it’s considered a fruit, it’s usually treated like a vegetable, eaten either raw or cooked. Its crunchy texture and sweet flavour make it a versatile ingredient, whether in a salad, salsa or saucy dish like a curry, or even as a topping in a sandwich or on a burger.