Great Trips for Fruit Hunters and Fruiters

They say not to go grocery shopping while you’re hungry; The Fruit Hunters is a documentary that’s playing now on Netflix that you shouldn’t watch hungry.  It will have you scouring the supermarket for the most peculiar looking fruit you can find.  Local markets have limitations of course though, the variety’s only so wide, and the fruit is only so fresh.  To get the real goods, you’re going to have to head to the source.  Here are a few spots with some of their must try local fruits.

Borneo:  Referenced over and over again in Fruit Hunters, Borneo is known as the mecca for fruiters.  They believe the variety of fruit produced here may have something to do with the last ice age never reaching this area.

 Must Tastes:

 Ihau: A brownish yellow small round fruit, has a      “cat’s-eye” center, and a sweet taste.

 Keledang: A white fleshy fruit, that when opened has  4  segments, and tastes similar to

a mangosteen.

 Maritam: This hairy looking fruit with deep purple  flesh  has a unique sour taste to it.

Thailand: The combination of climate, and fertile ground means that anything and everything will grow in Thailand.  The variety and abundance makes it a perfect place for a fruit adventure.

Must Tastes:

Durian: Becoming one of the most infamous fruits on the planet.  Justice cannot be done in this short blurb.  Word is, smells like raw-sewage, tastes like ice cream.

Mangosteen: Just starting to enter popular culture for its health benefits, it’s worth the effort to taste one of these tangy and sweet fruits, fresh while walking through a Thai market.

Lychee: A fruit with a lot of history involved, that The Fruit Hunters dives into a bit.  A delicate flesh, and a sweet flavor that is lost in processing, so fresh is the way to go.

Peru: Voted as the number one foodie spot in the world, it’s no surprise that Peru is home to  a vast variety of luscious and delicious indigenous fruit.

 Must Tastes:

 Chirimoya: The custard apple is native to the  highlands  of Peru.  Mark Twain called the fruit, “The  most delicious  fruit known to man.”

 Camu Camu: Native to Peru, 30-60 times more        vitamin C than an orange, and a tart cherry-lime  taste.

 Noni: About the size of a potato, and has a bitter taste,  and awful smell.

 Lucuma: A caramel taste, this green round fruit is the  main ingredient in suspiro a la limena a super sweet desert that pairs perfectly with a pisco sour.

Foodie experiences help make a trip memorable!  If you think about your favorite meal on your last trip… like right now, take a 10-second break, your mouth will start watering. While you’re waiting to take your trip to Borneo, check out The Fruit Hunters.  You’ll learn about some exotic fruits, you’ll learn that Bill Pullman has more interests than just defeating aliens with Will Smith, and you may just find a new hobby that will take you around the world.

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