‘What Is It?’ of the Week: Aroniaberry, Açai, and Dragonfruit
December 1st, 2007 by timbotron[Technically, this is a "what are they?" - three relatively obscure fruits that are now making appearances in American food products]
Aroniaberry (Aronia melanocarpa) – This berry is more commonly known as “Chokeberry” – a name that isn’t very marketable (thus “Aroniaberry”). A deciduous shrub from the wet woodlands and swamps of the American east, aronia berries have the highest concentrations of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins (which have powerful antioxidant properties) of any known plant. However, aroniaberries taste like ass: all of the unpleasantness of pure cranberries, with a sickly-sweet/overripe finish of rotting plums.
Açai (Euterpe oleracea) – Pronounced “a-sa-i”, this grape-sized drupe actually comes from a species of South and Central American palm. This fruit is high in dietary fiber, contains the sexy omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid, and is high in anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins (antioxidants). The pleasant taste of açai is somewhere in between cranberry and blueberry, but less powerful.
Dragonfruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus and Hylocereus undatus) – Also known as “Pitahaya”, “Pitaya,” and “Strawberry Pear,” it is perhaps the most spectacular fruit ever. Native to Central and South America, these fruits are produced by epiphytic (tree-dwelling) vine-like cacti. The skin of the ripe fruit is a vibrant pink, with either a pink flesh (H. polyrhizus) or a white flesh (H. undatus) with thousands of tiny dark seeds suspended throughout. The gelatinous flesh has the consistency of soft melon and its mild taste is a combination of subdued kiwi and strawberry. This fruit is primed to become trendy, due to its exotic look, its edibility, and its kick-ass name.
December 6th, 2007 at 10:33 am
The native americans called it “chokecherries”. If you’ve ever gone to Stanford Powwow and seen signs at the food stands for “wojapi” (pronounced ‘whoa-ja-pee’), it’s a native dish. Alas, the vendors at Stanford Powwow use raggady ass blueberries so it’s not “real” wojapi. Real wojapi is made from chokecherries. You boil them, and strain the seeds and add lots and lots of sugar. The result is a warm, sweet, purple very, VERY yummy gravy. My little brother calls it “choke yogurt”. Indeed, my mom used to turn us into child slave labor to help her pick many o’ many o’ many chokecherries in the late fall around the Colorado mountains. She knows how to spot a chokecherry bush from a mile away. Nice to know they are being grown commercially and soon I shall no longer have to suffer the horror of nasty-ass FAKE blueberry wojapi. A-ho! – Isabel
December 6th, 2007 at 10:31 pm
“Chokecherries” are a different fruit than “Chokeberries”:
“Chokecherries” are in the genus Prunus
“Chokeberries” are in the genus Aronia . . .
I’m sure you wouldn’t be speaking so fondly of Chokeberries . . . they really do taste like ass.
December 7th, 2007 at 10:04 am
My bad. I shall trust in your ass-tasting expertise!