Bell Fruit, Wax Apple, Jambu, יאמבוס
I have heard stories from a number of usually reliable sources about how some folks go mad for syzygium samarangense, also called wax apple, bellfruit, and jambu in English, יאַמבוס (yambus) in Yiddish, and 蓮霧 (lián wù) in Mandarin, so I was of course very excited to find some. They are pleasant enough, very crisp, juicy, and mildly sweet with just a little waft of rosewater, but I don’t entirely see what all the fuss is about. I was much more carried away by mangosteens, yellow dragon fruit, and white pomegranates, to name a few of the stupendous and wonderful plants I have been fortunate enough to enjoy of late. I will have to give them another chance, if I get one.
I do think I have a pretty good chance of stumping Sweetnicks this week, though.
posted by the chocolate doctor מרת שאקאלאד at 5:49 PM
5 Comments:
Wow! I hope you don't think me very rude for asking, but where do you find all these exotic fruits and vegetables? I'm so jealous!
tanya,
i am not sure where to go in your neck of the woods. I find most of these amazing Asian fruits and greens in Flushing, Queens, last stop on the 7 line here in New York. I also found some things in Toronto that I had never seen even in Queens, like the mangosteen.
of course I do not think the question is the least bit rude!! I love when people ask me about fruit!
I hadn't known that jambu was part of the culinary tradition of Yiddish-speaking communities.
I was particularly inyterested by the scientific name of the jambu, since it reminded me of the wonderful word SYZYGY, which i first met, I think, in a wonderfukl greeting card I saw many years ago which announced on its cover,
ORDINARY WORDS COULD NEVER EXPRESS MY FEELINGS FOR YOU
Inside, therefore, appeared the words
SYZYGY ERG GOOGLEPLEX
This was some time before the operative part of the last-named became a household word, to say nothing of Bill Gates' latest prey.
The Chocolate Lady,
Where exactly did you get those wax apples? I have not had one since going to Taiwan and would really love to get some. Do you know the name of the store or market you went to and the time of year?
Thank you,
-Jon
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