Interest in unusual fruits and vegetables has risen in the past few years, and many supermarkets and produce stands have begun stocking varieties that you wouldn't have found, or perhaps even heard of, a few years ago. Though not necessarily more nutritious than vegetables and fruits that we are familiar with, these uncommon newcomers can add variety and interest to your diet.
For variety, as well as nutrition and good taste, these foods are well worth trying. Like nearly all fruits and vegetables, they are relatively low in calories and relatively high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Many can be eaten raw; most are easy to cook; and the majority are available year- round.
Today, we will discuss cassava, guava and kumquat.
Cassava, also called manioc or yucca, is a starchy tuber
cultivated in South America, Africa, the Caribbean, the South
Pacific and Florida. Cassava is shaped like an elongated potato;
it's about a foot long, weighs up to 3 pounds or so, and is
covered with hairy brown bark-like skin enclosing soft dense
white flesh. Cooking it not only makes it palatable, but also
eliminates a toxic substance that can form in varying amounts in
the raw vegetable. Though commonly peeled and cooked like
potatoes, cassava can also be dried and ground into flour.
Tapioca is a form of cassava flour.
To prepare the vegetable, cut it into thick slabs and peel
them one at a time with a sharp paring knife. Simmer the chunks
for about 20 minutes and serve hot, with a spicy sauce.
Guava, looking something like a smooth-skinned lemon or
lime, is a native fruit of the Caribbean and is available from
Florida and California during fall and early winter. The guava
crop is small, but if you manage to find fresh guavas in your
market, you'll enjoy the sweetness and fragrance of their meaty,
bright pink flesh. (Some varieties have white, yellow or red
flesh.)
When shopping for guavas, look for yellow (or faintly
greenish-yellow) fruits that are very fragrant and give to gentle
pressure; if necessary, ripen at room temperature. Peel and
seed the fruit and use it in fruit salads, or scoop out the flesh
with a spoon and eat it as it is. Slightly underripe guavas can
be cooked and pureed as a condiment for meat and poultry, or as a
dessert.
Guavas are an excellent source of vitamin C. They are also
rich in soluble fiber.
Kumquat is a diminutive, citrus-like fruit that can be eaten
skin and all. The egg-shaped, orange fruits are about 1 1/2
inches long, and often come with their shiny green leaves
attached. Kumquats are in best supply in winter, and may be
found in supermarkets as well as Asian grocery stores and gourmet
markets.
Choose plump, shiny, fully-orange fruits; wash thoroughly
before serving since the skin, as well as the pulp can be eaten.
Add kumquat slices to fruit salads and use the whole or sliced
fruit as an edible garnish. You can use kumquats in any dish
that calls for oranges.
Kumquats are an excellent source of vitamin C.
