Autumn Fruits

Nothing is as good as Spring and Summer fruits. When Autumn comes we still have the joy of grapes and pears start to appear. The only problem is that I always find it very difficult to choose my pears. They are either too hard, too mushy or tasteless. But when you pick a good one they can be so yummy!

Fruits of the season

Oh that is great! After the peach and apricot season this summer here come the grapes starting to pop up in every supermarket in the area. The Northern Territory does not grow any grapes and does not produce any wine as far as I know - and I might be wrong - but the Southern Autumn makes itself felt with the arrival of these seasonal 'fruits'. The weather seems to be a bit in transition here at the moment with dryer days, bluer skies but hotter temperatures as well. The temperatures should then hopefully drop a bit to leave the area under constent sun and no clouds. That's what I call winter!

Dry fruits

I usually really like dry fruits. Of course, it is often the common apricot or mango that I tend to snack on but I often try something new and different. I never had any kiwi before. It is not bad. I am not overexcited about it but it still makes for a good snack. The proof is that I finished this 150Gr packet in two days. The problem I find with most dry fruits though is that they contain lots of unecessary sugars. It is quite rare to find raw dry fruits without any additive and it is a shame since they are much tastier in the raw. The other problem is that the drying process kills most of the Vitamin C but they remain rich in vitamins and dietary minerals.

Hairy (Fruit)

In Bahasa Indonesia, 'rambut' means hair. Hence the Rambutan fruit is the hairy fruit (often also jokingly referred to as the hairy bollock). It is very common in this part of the world and it is even considered to be originating somewhere in between Malaysia and Indonesia (that puts Singapore on the map doesn't it?). Today I was still in Indonesia though and I could not refuse the plate that was in front of me when I went for my Nasi Pandang. For those who have never tried this fruit and consider it as exotic I can tell you that it is somehow a bit similar to the Lychee or Longan. One of the two seasons for this fruit is now.

Durians

They have a very strong smell and a unique taste. No, I am not talking about weird and rare French goat cheeses but about durians that are unique to Southeast Asia. Most westeners cannot even usually pass the smell and are reluctent to try the custardy flesh of that strange and different fruit. The smell is so strong that it is normally forbidden in public places like hotels or transports. But I admit the taste and consistency are quite appealing once experimented. People tend to gradually develop an addictive taste for the fruit that is considered the King of all fruits here. It is for that reason that its price also never drops unlike other seasonal fruits.

Fruits and Fruit juices

On top of the cheap food readily available on every street corner, the other excellent and healthy option anywhere in town is the intensive display of fresh fruits that can be eaten by the piece or blended into fantastic juices. A few shops add sugar (so request for no sugar if that's your option) but most keep everything raw and natural.

Fruit of the dragon!

Mmmm! I love all those tropical fruits. It is not always easy when you do not know anything about them at first... You look at them... Touch them... And experiment with them as most of the time you have no clue on the way they should be preserved or consumed. Are they ripe enough? How do you slice them? Do you swallow them? Do you only extract the juice out of them? Fortunately, dragon fruits are pretty easy to figure out compared to some other strange nature's creations and they also taste quite familiar (very kiwi-like). I love them!