Just finished The Fruit Hunters by Adam Leith Gollner - great book. Now I'm scouring Whole Foods (and, more successfully, Chinatown) for all the strange fruits I've never tried before. So far on my list:
-jackfruit (in a shake): tastes kind of pineapple-coconutty.
-guanabana (aka soursop) in a shake: a little sour but good.
-kumquats
-kiwiberries
-real kiwis
-atualfo mangoes
-asian pear (underripe - yuck)
-longans
-lychees
update:
-rambutans
-cherimoya
-dragonfruit
update 8/3/09:
Just went to the produce place in Chelsea Market. For $22 ended up with:
-goldenberries (aka Cape Gooseberries) - delicious, citrussy. Related to tomatillos.
-passionfruit
-ugli fruit (tastes way better than it looks - reminds me of a clementine)
-fresh figs (a little underripe, I think)
-guava (maybe not quite ripe? kinda bland and grainy, but not bad)
-golden kiwi
-pepino melon
-fresh almonds
-starfruit (aka carambola)
-prickly pear fruit (I think?)
-quenepa (aka mamoncillo) (not much there to eat, and really slimy texture, but tastes good)
plus some blueberries & plums. Excellent spot for good, cheap produce.
Will keep this list updated as I try more.
This is kinda cool, while we're at it: http://fruitspecies.blogspot.com/
