Karela
This bumpy orange or green squash is somewhat alarming-looking, and the flesh is laced with quinine, giving it an its alternate name of bitter melon or bitter squash. Accordingly, it’s usually cooked with brown sugar to allay the extreme flavor—though many find the bitterness an attractive quality, and the vegetable is often paired with lamb or goat in Pakistani cooking, and also used extensively in Chinese cuisine.
Kiwano melon
It may look like something from outer space (and, in fact, it once made an appearance on Star Trek), but the Kiwano melon is actually grown in Southern Africa, California and New Zealand. Nicknamed the “horned melon,” its yellow, stubby exterior encases a bright green, jelly-like fruit with edible seeds. The fruit has a citrusy flavor that some liken to a mix of cucumber, lime and banana.
(BONUS FRUIT) Rambutan
Rambut is Malay for “hair”, and looking at the fruit, this makes perfect sense. Rambutan is native to tropical Southeast Asia (in particular the Malay-Indonesian region), and is very closely related to the lychee.
The tender fruit inside a Rambutan is described as sweet and sour, similar to a grape.
So where do you find all of these gems?
Remember there are unusual fruits and veggies at farmers’ markets, and in food stores that appeal to your gourmet side. Challenge youreself to be the first in your clique to break out a botanical product that no one else has ever heard of before.
It feels good to help expand people’s minds and tastebuds.