Pomegranate!

The pomegranate is native from the Himalayas, Iran, and northern India. The pomegranate is sited in many different religions as well as Greek mythology. 

According to one myth, Persephone was kidnapped by Hades, ruler of the Underworld, to be his wife. It was the rule of the Fates that anyone who consumed food or drink in the Underworld would spend an eternity there. While Persephone was prisoner, Hades tricked her into eating four pomegranate seeds and she was condemned to spend four months out of the year in the Underworld.


It is a personal preference as to whether or not to eat the whole pomegranate seed. Generally, people eat the arils (juice sacs) and discard the seed. Most of the fiber comes from that little seed. Although the juice is a good source of Vitamin C & potassium, majority of the calories come from sugar.

Longan

Longan is native to Southern China and is also found in many areas of Southeast Asia. Its name "Longan" literally means "dragon eyes". When the fruit has been shelled, it will reveal an obvious transparent flesh and through this, you can see its small black seed. All together, it resembles an eyeball and so, there is the origin of its name.

Longan

Longan

Longan is usually in season in the Summer to late Summer months. It is often used in East Asian soups, snacks, and desserts. You can often find them dried or canned.

Lychee

Origin - According to wikipedia, the origin of Lychee comes from China. In fact, there is a historical reference linking this fruit to the imperial palace. It is said that an Emperor from the Tang Dynasty had this fruit delivered by messenger "fast-horse" to his most favored concubine.


The Look - Usually with light red shells to darker red shells. The shells are hard and spiky. Flesh is thick and sweet.

Taste - The taste is crisp and sweet, similar to honey.

Lychee has been seen in imported candies, smoothies, specialty supermarkets, martinis, and dessert.

Pink Lady Apples

Pink Lady apples comes from Australia and is a "blush" apple. It is a cross between the Golden Delicious and Lady Williams. The flavor of this apple is tangy & sweet. In my opinion, it has a bit tartness to the taste as well. In some of my recipes, I use the Pink Lady apples to make apple sauce. The cake comes out tender, moist, and carries the sweet apple taste with it. The tartness of the apple is a great compliment for any fruit based recipe.

Rainer Cherries

Rainer Cherries are a cross between the bing cherry and the van cherry. It is considered a "blush" fruit. It is a large and yellow cherry that blushes red when it ripes. This is a sweet cherry, delicate in flavor with a flesh that is pure yellow, firm, and textured.