The delicate raspberry, popular as the ‘King of berries’, is a member of the rose family. The raspberry is actually a collection of many small juicy fruits called drupelets, each with its own seed covered in red skin and flesh, which together form a helmet…
Continue ReadingA bunch of luscious grapes, dangling enticingly, is a magnificent sight indeed! There would be few who are not tempted by this succulent fruit. Popularly known as ‘Nature’s candy’, the fruit is an excellent snack. The grape is one of the oldes…
Continue ReadingT he sapodilla, popularly known as chikku, is a favourite fruit in India. But it is not only the fruit that makes the sapodilla tree valuable. Did you know that chewing gum is made from the milky latex of this tree? This latex is known as chicle. The Maya…
Continue ReadingT he groundnut, also known as peanut, is one of the most important cash crops of India. It is widely recognised as a palatable “poor man’s nut”, and is eaten and relished by all classes of people. A native of South America, the groundnut was discovered and…
Continue ReadingT he very name would make your mouth water, as you think of strawberry ice-cream, strawberry jam, and other delicious food items associated with this delicious pink fruit. The strawberry is not really a berry, in the strict botanical sense. The actual f…
Continue ReadingThe quince (Cydonia oblonga), a native of the Middle East, has a long history of cultivation throughout the Mediterranean region. It was first cultivated in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) and is believed to have travelled to Greece between 200 and 100 BC. …
Continue ReadingThe papaya (also known in some areas as pawpaw) is a familiar fruit of the tropics. The fruit has an interesting history. Although the exact area of origin is unknown, it is believed to be a native of tropical America. Around the middle of the 16th century, t…
Continue ReadingThe mangosteen (no relation to the mango), termed by many as “the queen of tropical fruits”, is a fruit that has been used by Asian peoples for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. A native of Southeast Asia (it is believed to have originated in the Mal…
Continue ReadingThe date is a fruit that comes to us from the deserts of Arabia. Called the ‘bread of the desert’, the date is a key food source for millions living across the Middle East and North Africa. It is an ancient fruit which finds mention in the Quran and …
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