New Food Weekend Challenge

[smasty]

Should we have a new food challenge this weekend? Try a fruit or vegetable you've never had. Pick up the weirdest thing you see at the market and give it a spin! Maybe you've never tried squash raw, or never tried star fruit, or fennel? Or try a new recipe and report back.

[thunderdancer]

I love it smasty - cool idea :)

I've got a packet of FRESH dates ooooh....
I'm waiting for them to ripen so I can have that gorgeous taste of dates again.. (can't eat the dry fruit anymore)

[lil]

There's a good idea! I'm close to several asian markets and they always have interesting things in there. I'll see what I find today.

[Jeanne]

I thought of you yesterday Smasty when I was shopping and came across Asian pears. I told my son about what you had thought of them and we bought some. At home he said, "I want to try the pear that tastes like booze!" :p After eating one he said, "Do you notice how high the vibration feels in these pears?" I did! They taste very happy. We love them!
That's my new taste contribution.

[mwjeepster]

I went back today and bought a fresh yellow plum. I have never seen a yellow plum before and I have to tell you, it was insanely delicious. I'm like, ok, where have I been for the last 47 years? I got so caught up in my new find I completely forgot to buy more of the Asian pear/apples. I was about to go back when my neighbor brought over a bag of apples he and his sons picked this morning from on orchard near by - they were just heavenly!

So I am loving this VERY much... but I have one question (for now!) are there salad dressings like the kind I love (balsamic vinegrette) that are raw? I'm thinking what I'm using did not come from the garden so to speak, and I would like to change that. I find that with every day I am getting more and more excited and more committed to doing this fully.

Also, my dh is getting interested... and he's one of the worst eaters I have ever met besides myself - he says he wants to do it with me to support my "diet" (I won't tell him it's a life change yet, that would scare him!).

My love and best wishes to all!
Melissa

[GoingRAW]

mwjeepster,

I am in the same boat as you... I am addicted to my homemade balsamic dressing and have been hesitant to give it up until I find a good raw version!

[smasty]

Hi Guys!!!

I haven't been to the store yet to pick out my new thing, but for sure tomorrow.

Melissa and GR, regarding salad dressing...Kristi posted a good one using apple cider vinegar. I adore my salad dressing so much, I could live on it 3 meals a day. Mine is nama shoyu, raw tahini, olive oil, lime or lemon juice, and sometimes some ginger. It's creamy from the tahini, it's asian/salty from the nama, its tangy from the juice...I'm mad about it!! I love it so much I look forward to my salads all day long. I read somewhere that the key to staying raw is having REALLY good salad dressings...I totally agree. I'm sure it gets easier the longer a person is raw, so maybe salad dressings become less important, but in the beginning it's huge, and still is for me. Melissa, I'll have to keep an eye out for yellow plums.

Hey Jeanne! That's funny about the asian pears. I swear they taste like daquiris to me!

Lil...let us know what you find.

Thunder...what's a fresh date like? "The Date People" ought to be harvesting soon, I've thought about placing an order w/ them.

Well, I can't wait to see what interesting thing I find tomorrow.

[ConsciousCuisine]

:) I'd love to take part, however I cannot think of one thing I have not tried! Durian, Goji Berries, Sapote, Cherimoya, Asian Plums, Lychees , Jackfruit and so on...tried them all! Love them all, too! (with the exception of Durian, that is). Here's a challenge: Name something sooo exotic that I probably haven't heard of or tried it! I dare ya ! ;)

[Analeah]

Hey good posts everyone and good idea to start this thread! Okay so I just tried something I have never tried before or even heard about it. I found it at the farmers market in Vevey at a booth selling fresh produce directly from Africa. Unfortunately I don't know the name of it, when I asked the person working they only said it was called "noisette" which of course just means nut so I assume it is the primary nut in Africa like hazelnuts are here in Switzerland. Anyway the nut (or whatever it was) was so delicious! It tasted somewhere between a macadamia nut and coconut! Also, last weekend for the first time I tried a real raw passion fruit. I have never seen them before in the US does anyone know if you can buy them fresh in the US?

[mwjeepster]

I think you can get raw passion fruit here, I'll go over to my store and see if they carry it - there's one thing I've never had!

On the dressing front - is cold pressed olive oil ok? Is vinegar ok? If yes, then making a home made vinegrette should work. I'm like you Smasty & Going Raw, I LIVE for my salads because of the dressing.

I hope everyone has a great day - dh and I are off to the city to see his mom who is in a nursing home and then back to my Asian market for more fruit!!!!!

Love to all,
Melissa

[ConsciousCuisine]

Raw Apple Cider Vinegar that still has the "Mother" culture in it is good on Raw diets. That's the one that is used by Raw-ers across the board...

[lil]

Okay - I picked up a Pomelo. I've always seen them but never had one. Like MW - I wonder where I've been the last few decades!
The Pomelo looks like a grapefruit on steriods. But it's sweeter than grapefruit. The taste kind of reminds me as a kid, we used to put sugar on our grapefruit (ewww....). They are hard to open. The skin sprays a lot - but it's kind of a nice citrus scent.

I grabbed some Lychee's - but they are not new to me. Saw some "Kidney Mangoes" - cute little mangoes shaped liked kidneys. Didn't interest me.

Hey CC - I saw a fruit (? not sure) that I've never seen before. But I can't remember it's name!! It was an asian name - in three parts. The fruit was the size of an apricot and reddish in colour. It had long, soft tentacles all over it that were a browny gold.

Okay - I did a seach - it's a "Rambutan" (It had a different name in this store): http://facethewall.com/fruit-rambutan.html . I'll have to go back and get some!.

[ConsciousCuisine]

To me, the flesh has a texture like an unripe peach, or a really soaked brazil nut...interesting fruit...thanks for reminding me of this! I haven't had this in a while 'cause it's pretty rare... :)

[smasty]

I did it!!! I found "prickly pear" (tried that one CC??). It was weird!!! I think this is the fruit of the sagauro (sp?) cactus. I took a pic but don't have time to post right now. Anyway, I peeled it, and there's a thin layer of fruit then quite a lot of meaty part with seeds like hard sunflower seeds. The part without the seeds was bland, almost salty, but the part with the seeds was very sweet, but you couldn't eat it because of the seeds. I chewed it up to taste the sweet then spit it out. If anyone has a better idea how to eat these I might try again, otherwise it's on the list as tried it once, not again.

This was fun!! I aslo bought kelp and some kind of squash to try. I bought peaches too, I haven't had a peach in over 30 years (never really liked them before). These are incredible!!

[lil]

Sue - how do you eat squash raw? They are just coming into season and I would love to have some.

[mwjeepster]

I'm finding them absolutely fascinating. I have never met a squash I liked, but the idea of eating one raw is truly interesting! Please let me know what kind of squash (?) tastes good raw (maybe they all do!!!).

Wow, amazing how many different foods I eat raw that I would NEVER eat cooked when I ate cooked - like spinich. The idea of eating squash would never occur to me because I never ate it cooked.

I just need to tell everyone that I just had the most delightful lunch - a big salad - full of color and life!!! It was delicious! Amazing that I never appreciated a beautiful salad before... never even enjoyed one. Now I live for them!!! I get the sense that life is getting better every day...

love to all,
Melissa

[Analeah]

Wow, I just wanted to say that I feel the same way as you do Melissa! I never really ate salads before or appreciated them until now. I feel like my taste buds are changing so much and I am appreciating food so much more, it's really wonderful! Sometime this week I am going to buy some squash and try it out. I have eaten raw squash soup a long time ago which was really good but I forget what kind of squash it was. I think I have had spaghetti squash raw awhile ago as well and it was really good, so if you are wanting to try out a squash that might be a good one to start with. How long have you been eating raw for?

[RawGirl]

[QUOTE=smasty]I did it!!! I found "prickly pear" It was weird!!! I think this is the fruit of the sagauro (sp?) cactus. Anyway, I peeled it, and there's a thin layer of fruit then quite a lot of meaty part with seeds like hard sunflower seeds. The part without the seeds was bland, almost salty, but the part with the seeds was very sweet, but you couldn't eat it because of the seeds. I chewed it up to taste the sweet then spit it out. If anyone has a better idea how to eat these I might try again, otherwise it's on the list as tried it once, not again.

Hi Smasty,

Thats' funny!! I just tried a prickly pear last week, but I was told that you're suppose to eat the seeds. So I did :p Thought they were quite hard..Either way with or without the seeds once is enough for me..Did you get those prickly things in your fingers. We both did..not pleasant.

[Sweet lips]

I have taken zucchini and yellow squash and used the spiral slicer cut them, and although many people use it as a sub for spaghetti, it didn't do it for me. So, I used lemon juice, celtic salt and jalepeno's chopped very fine and a little olive oil and it was wonderful.

Be mindful, eat it quickly as squash has a high water content and then it is floating. I usually cut it and put in a dish in the fridge and mix as needed.

[mwjeepster]

Analeah, I've been raw for a big 8 days!!!! Like you, I think my taste buds are completely freaking out - like they were asleep for decades and just woke up - I can hear them nudging me - "you know that salad you had yesterday? Let's have another one!" This has been a radical change for me... I was a sugar, garbage (junk food) and meat compulsive overeater. And while I am suffering from migraines, I feel like the end result will be MORE than worth any suffering I will go through. The pictures I have seen of people both on this and other web sites has more than convinced me of the benefits. I have a picture to down load which I will try to do this coming up weekend. I want to be the raw poster girl someday - and have the pictures to prove it!!!

Much love to all!
Melissa

[Curtis]

Great job Melissa, keep going and you will make it. :)

[mwjeepster]

I feel like such a rebel ;) I have suffered for most of my life with my sugar addiction and it's ensuing obesity - I never gave up trying to find an answer, but I've been frustrated for at least thirty years trying to find it... and like the authors of Natures First Law, the answer was right in front of me. It's as if we have just bought in to all the corporates answers that don't work - slimfast, diet pills, jenny craig, etc. and around and around we go. This has been an incredible short journey - I expect it to get a whole lot more interesting as time goes by and I continue to stay raw...

Thanks again for all of your encouragement!
Melissa

[smasty]

Hi Guys!!

I was wondering if I should eat the seeds! That was the best part!

Raw squash...don't know yet! I love raw zucchini! And DH, who hates zucchini loves raw zucchini too. I bought a small squash that looks like a peach and green colored small pumpkin. I plan to cut it in half, scoop out seeds, peel it and dice it. I had "Banana squash" at a salad bar last month that was really good. It was very firm and bland/slightly sweet. It had a shoestring type cut, which might be the best for squash. Tell ya what, I'll try it tonight and report back.

[mwjeepster]

Thanks for being the guinea pig!!! :p

I tried to eat a raw pepper, but I have always hated them and raw is no exception. But squash intrigues me and I think it would be a good thing to add to my repertore (I KNOW I did not spell that right!) but you get the idea! I am, btw, no surprise, losing weight!!! I promise to get my 'before' picture up this weekend. Looks like I'll have to actually use my sewing skills to take in some of my favorite clothes!!! \

Can't wait to hear the feedback on your squash adventures!

Love always,
Melissa

[Analeah]

Hey Melissa, I totally know what you mean about the taste bud things! Before going raw I would probably have been considered a healthy eater by most American standards but it was nowhere near as healthy as I am eating now. It's really amazing how good food is tasting to me these days. I get worried sometimes though lol almost too good. I never used to eat spinach or peppers or other green food much but now I am really enjoying. I think as your taste buds change it is important to try new things just to test your taste buds out. Then again if you really hated something before going raw you might still hate it after going raw like me with onions (but I love garlic lol strange). I used to hate raw zucchini but now I eat it almost every day and love it! That is awsome you are losing weight and getting healthy! Can't wait to see the pics!

[smasty]

It's amazing how taste buds change! I HATED mushrooms before going raw, my whole life hated them. After going raw, I tried one, and it was an amazing experience. It tasted like meat to me! In a good way.

Ok...it's called "Golden Nugget" Squash, the label says "sweet orange flesh." I'll try it tonight and post.

[mwjeepster]

Thanks for the encouragement, Analeah! I hate onions too - raw or cooked!!! Zuccini is pretty bland raw, so I'm ok with that, but I would NEVER eat it cooked! YUCK!!! And peppers, forget it, I would be in another state if someone tried to cook one in my house - I hate the smell!!!

Good luck, Smasty - looking forward to hearing your feedback! You're a courageous and daring woman!!!

Love to all,
Melissa

[flutterfly]

A few weeks ago I had my first White Peach. The flavor was so sweet and wonderful. Now I have to wait until next year to get more ;(

[smasty]

Hey, I think that's what I've been eating all week, white peaches. They are incredible! I like the firmness of them.

[Veganmama]

I took up the challenge at the market this morning and wandered over to the asian market. I got a couple of young coconuts, i eat heaps of coconuts but never been able to find the young ones before so i'm excited about breakfsast tomorrow. I also got these huge white root tuber of some sorti think it might be a Daikon???

I'll let you know how they go

[thunderdancer]

Oooohh young cocnut - YUM!

My fresh dates don't seem to be ripening STILL! I think it's one of those cases where the fruit is picked too soon and never really ripens... they taste ok now but a bit 'dry' along with the hint of sweet dateness.

[mwjeepster]

I'm going to get myself a food processor and a juicer. I've been trying to put it off, but I want to make things now! I can't seem to find any coconuts, young or old. I will start asking around for them. I have a ton of places yet to check out, so I'm sure I'll find them somewhere...

Love to all,
Melissa
Raw in Rockland (NY)!

[Analeah]

I'm having the same problem with some of the dates I have here too. They seem to be really dryish kind of but they still have the sweet date taste so they aren't too bad. I hadn't thought about if they could ripen after picked or not but I would probably be too impatient anyway. There's a different kind of date here that is bigger and ten times better but way more expensive. I think its called Medjool or something like that...do you have that kind of date or a different kind? For coconuts try going to an asia/thai market. The regular supermarkets here have the mature coconuts but I can't seem to find the young ones anywhere. Ah well I guess I'll have to live with the regular ones lol.

[ConsciousCuisine]

I did it!!! I found "prickly pear" (tried that one CC??).


Yes, I am a Southern California Native and have had "Cactus Pears" and cactus of all kinds... :)

[kirk]

For those of you who enjoy prickly pears but don't enjoy pulling the thorns out of your fingers and hands.

Since I'm part Cherokee, I did some research on ethnobotony to find out what they ate and how they prepared it. Here is a little trick to remove the thorns. All you do is vigorously rub the prickly pear in sand and that removes all the thorns plus the little "hairs" that are so hard to get out of the skin.

[Analeah]

Does anyone have a picture of a prickly pear fruit? I am pretty sure I know what they are but I just want to make sure. The ones I am thinking of are similar in shape but a little larger than a kiwi and are reddish/greenish. Are these them?

[smasty]

Check out the raw squash link in the food section...I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I like really hard crunchy fruit (like very green bartlette pears)...these are like that, but not as sweet.

Le Prickly Pear:

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/photopost/data/500/18Prickly_Pear.jpg

[Veganmama]

Well i just tried to young coconut and i wasn't keen at all, I didn't like the texture, i'm not one for slimy food...I think i'll stick with regular ones

[Analeah]

Hey Smasty thanks for posting the pic, yup that is what I thought they were indeed. I remember eating them a long time ago fresh off a cactus from the next door neighbor and they were soooo good. I wonder if store bought ones are just as good though, I'll have to buy some next time I go to the store as I see them everywhere lol. Anyone have any good raw recipes for these? Any ideas how to work around the seeds? If I remember correctly they are really hard to chew. Veganmama, I'm surprised you don't like the young coconuts but if you have an aversion to slimy food I can understand not liking them lol. Have you tried using it in a recipe though? If you blend it up in a smoothy you might get the wonderful coconut flavor but won't notice the slimyness of it because it's blended.

[thunderdancer]

Veganmama did you like the coconut juice inside ooohhh heavenly (IMO) :D
Do you like smoothies/puds? Coz the young coconut flesh blended up with banana and juicey berries is REALLY nice.

Analeah - i've had dried medjool dates yes WOW they are huge and soooo sweet, when i'm at my Dad's my step mum buys them and they are 'my' addition to the cheese dish at dinner hehe

[thunderdancer]

Veganmama did you like the coconut juice inside ooohhh heavenly (IMO) :D
Do you like smoothies/puds? Coz the young coconut flesh blended up with banana and juicey berries is REALLY nice. I did one with banana and blueberries and it was exaclty this colour! :)

Analeah - i've had dried medjool dates yes WOW they are huge and soooo sweet, when i'm at my Dad's my step mum buys them and they are 'my' addition to the cheese dish at dinner hehe

[smasty]

Young Coconuts! I love them, but each one is different. The meat is oftentimes thin and slimey, like jello. But sometimes I get young ones with lots of firm but tender meat inside, that's like winning the lottery! I adore the water though, it's better than champagne! After watching Alissa's DVD I now drink my coconut milk in a large martini glass. It's my Friday-night cocktail. Hey! It's Friday!!!

[Analeah]

Mmm yes, medjool dates are so good. I don't know if the ones I have eaten here are dried or not but I think they are fresh. That is SO true about young coconuts being variable though. Sometimes you can run into bad tasting ones I think if they have been sitting out too long or weren't properly shipped. A few times I even got ones that were purple inside....pretty strange. Then again if it's the texture you don't like it's probably best to blend it into something yummy like thunderdancer said or just eat the mature ones but I have heard those aren't nearly as good for you.

[ConsciousCuisine]

Please do not ever eat pinkish, grey or purpleish young coconuts as they are rotten and could make you ill!

[Analeah]

That is definately a good thing to know! I didn't eat the purple ones because I figured it wouldn't be good but I was never sure about the greyish ones.

[smasty]

Or mature coconuts, too! It's so hard finding a good one! I've gotten better though. Make sure if you buy old coconuts you get "heavy" ones with lots of water (shake it). It's SO disappointing to open a coconut and see the yellow/gray/pink colors and know it's rancid. I think coconuts sit on the shelf FOREVER! I found the very best ones (mature coconuts, not young) are "Groovy Coconuts"...I've never had a bad one from them.

[rawjojo]

I am going to try and buy a coconut tomorrow. This will be my first. It scared me when I heard you speaking of the rancid colors and stuff. Is it supposed to be all white and will I be able to tell if it is full of liquid?

[Sweet lips]

I have been blessed to have gotten really great ones, and I love the water. I haven't had a slimy one yet. Sometimes, I just eat the flesh, and it never makes it to the smoothy. Come to think of it, I am having one right now! Good stuff

[smasty]

RawJoJo...are you going to get a young coconut or a mature coconut?

Young coconuts are almost always fine. I have one bad one in 30. Old coconuts, until you get good at picking them, I've had up to a 70% failure rate.

For old coconuts: Shake the coconut and find one that seems to have the most amount of water in it. If it's wrapped in plastic, make look for one without excessive condensation under the plastic, or sign of leakage. I like the ones that are scored, they're easy to open.

To open, one of the 3 eyes is soft enough to stick an ice pick or fillet knife into, let the water drain into a glass, once all the water is out, take the coconut out to your garage and hit it once or twice with a hammer, it will break in half. Try not to have your hands on it when you hit it, I've had a coconut crack (with my hand on it), and not break, but catch my skin in the crack as it shut back down (ouch!!). Ok, now the hard part, I use a very strong paring knife to dig the chunks of coconut out of the shell. The coconut should be all white. Pink/yellow/grey aren't good. Sometimes you can salvage half a coconut if there's a little yellow or grey on parts of it. If you see pink, ditch it. When you dig out the meat, you'll often have brown skin attached to it where it connected to the shell, you'll want to peel that skin off (I've eated it with the skin on, but it's too much fiber for your system, big gas!). Remember, coconut has huge amounts of fiber already, so it's great! BTW, Dogs LOVE coconut!!! Don't forget to give them some too.

So, anyway, dig out the chunks, it gets easier w/ practice. Peel the skin off the meat, and enjoy. Remember, all this info is for mature (brown hairy) coconuts, it's totally different for young coconuts.

Does everyone know what a young coconut looks like?

http://www.thaitable.com/images/ingredients/pictures/2young%20coconut.jpg

[ConsciousCuisine]

MMMM....Cocktail party anyone? I'll bring the canapes and crudite, lol! :)

[ConsciousCuisine]

http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/photopost/data/500/18Prickly_Pear.jpg[/QUOTE]


You have really lovely, ageless hands...

[smasty]

;) Thanks CC! ;)

[Rawkinlocs]

I bought an Asian pear yesterday and some other different kind of pear (not the cactus one, though) and I'll try them and report back.

I tried the young coconut before and didn't like the meat or the water/milk inside. Maybe I had a bad one...I'll try again.

I would NEVER eat mushrooms before, but I'm working my way into them by using them in the nut "burger" recipes whereas before I'd just omit them altogether!

One day I'll try eating one by itself.

I tried Leechee (an Asian fruit)... it was okay but I probably wouldn't by them. I was in the fruit market and the Asian people were swarming over them. I inquired as to what they were and one gentleman told me it was an Asian fruit and it was very good. He peeled one open for me and had me try it. It was kinda like eating a grape, but different in a sense. It was sweet, but there was just something weird about it that I didn't like. It was just...different.

OH...when at the market yesterday, they had fresh, raw olives...I started to grab a few but wouldn't know what to do with them. Has anyone here ever encountered olives that hadn't been pickled or whatever it is they do to the ones in the jar?

[ConsciousCuisine]

I LOVE Raw olives and make all kinds of things with them! I love Sundried Peruvian Olives (they are very bitter and I use them in making carob desserts taste more chocolatey...I just add a few to a recipe and it represents the "bitter" and oily flavors that carob lacks when trying to be like chocolate in a recipe) I cure them myself sometimes in water with a bit of umeboshi and spices like garlic and chilis...I LOVE olives! They help me stay raw and when I have food cravings, I allow myself a few olives to satiate myself...

[Rawkinlocs]

I LOVE Raw olives and make all kinds of things with them! I love Sundried Peruvian Olives (they are very bitter and I use them in making carob desserts taste more chocolatey...I just add a few to a recipe and it represents the "bitter" and oily flavors that carob lacks when trying to be like chocolate in a recipe) I cure them myself sometimes in water with a bit of umeboshi and spices like garlic and chilis...I LOVE olives! They help me stay raw and when I have food cravings, I allow myself a few olives to satiate myself...

Wow! Thanks CC!

I'd better get up there and grab some then before they're all gone.

Can you tell me more about this umeboshi? Now, can the raw olives be used in the same manner as the Sundried Peruvian Olives you spoke of (to compliment carob in "chocolate" recipes)?

[smasty]

I'm very interested in curing my own olives! I saw umeboshi at the health food store (if you can call it that!) yesterday!

[Analeah]

Thanks Rawkinlocs for sharing your desciption of Lychee's! I have always been curious about them but I have never seen them before at any asian markets I have gone to. Then again it sounds like I am not missing all that much lol. Have you ever tried raw stuffed mushrooms that were dehydrated? I didn't know the chocolate thing about olives, I'll definately have to try that out in a recipe! How do you know if an olive is really fresh or raw? I went to the market today and asked the guy if they had been cooked or processed in any way and he said his olives were raw. Some of them were cured in herbs and spices and others were just plain I think. I know store bought olives already in a jar are not raw but I am curious to know if these olives would be considered raw....

[Rawkinlocs]

Thanks Rawkinlocs for sharing your desciption of Lychee's! I have always been curious about them but I have never seen them before at any asian markets I have gone to. Then again it sounds like I am not missing all that much lol. Have you ever tried raw stuffed mushrooms that were dehydrated? I didn't know the chocolate thing about olives, I'll definately have to try that out in a recipe! How do you know if an olive is really fresh or raw? I went to the market today and asked the guy if they had been cooked or processed in any way and he said his olives were raw. Some of them were cured in herbs and spices and others were just plain I think. I know store bought olives already in a jar are not raw but I am curious to know if these olives would be considered raw....

Analeah,

Thank you for the correct spelling of Lychee! I had a feeling I didn't spell it correctly :o

But about the olives, the ones I saw were a brighter, lighter green, hard and in a large container just out in the open, not in jars or anything. They hadn't been cured or anything like that...just out like all the other fruit and veggies.

[lil]

I love the Lychee's. They are very subtle and the taste increases the more you eat. I didn't like them when I first tried them (years ago...). Now I carry them around with me all day - and munch on them. I find it very satisfying.

I just picked up some Asian pears too. I've had them before and they only come out for a short period. They are soooooo tasty and juicy. A delight to eat, although I'm stuffed after eating one as they are so big.

See this link for coconut water (turn up your speakers and be prepared to dance!): http://www.caribbeanstylz.com/Coconutwater.html

[smasty]

Oh no, that song will be stuck in my head!!! I love it!!

[ConsciousCuisine]

Wow! Thanks CC!

I'd better get up there and grab some then before they're all gone.

Can you tell me more about this umeboshi? Now, can the raw olives be used in the same manner as the Sundried Peruvian Olives you spoke of (to compliment carob in "chocolate" recipes)?


Umeboshi is a Japanese/Macrobiotic Condiment made from unripe, salted Ume Plums. They are put into a large cask and salted...they are left to "pickle" and the resulting juice is "Umeboshi Vinegar" and the fleshy part is pureed and is called "Umeboshi Paste". The Ume Plums are also sold whole. They are a great hangover remedy, as they are very alkalizing. I wrote an article on their benefits for the Womens' Mag. I write for. They are VERY salty! BE careful when using Ume! Eden Foods makes good Ume Products, including "Ume Balls" in pill form (concentrates) to be used medicinally for alkalizing and so on.

As far as making chocolatey dishes with raw olives, only an unsalted, sundried BLACK olive works the way I like for this. The Peruvian Olives from Nature's First Law are my favorite.

[Analeah]

Hey great coconut song! Rawkinlocs, that's funny you mentioned the thing about the spelling because I am not sure if I have the correct spelling and didn't even realize we had spelled it differently lol. I would love to try a lychee (or however you spell it) sometime just to know what it's like for myself. *Sigh* I'll probably have to wait tell I get back to the US as the Asian markets here carry 99% canned foods. I've had the umeboshi plums before and they are really good but super salty so you can only eat a very small amoutn at a time at least for me. Are all umeboshi products raw or just the plums?

[ConsciousCuisine]

Here's some info on Dragonfruit from "Melissa's Organics"

Originally from Central America and now domestically grown in Southern California and Florida, the Tropical Dragonfruit is a water loving cactus fruit that is sweet and flavorful and has a combined taste of a pear, kiwi and watermelon.

The fruit is round and its exterior ranges in color from a hot pink to red. The common Tropical Dragonfruit has a white flesh but Melissa's Tropical Dragonfruit boast a rich flesh that ranges from deep iridescent magenta to a sparkling blush pink. Both types have tiny black edible seeds. This fruit does not grow well in winter cold or summer heat weather, so its availability is limited, making it a highly prized treat. All Tropical Dragonfruit flower at night and emit a jasmine fragrance. Tropical Dragonfruit require hand pollination and the white flesh fruit mostly self pollination. The fruit contains plenty of Vitamin C and Water-Soluble Fiber that is beneficial to your healthy diet.

[Analeah]

omg! I want some of this! Where in the world did you find this? And do they ship internationally lol?

[ConsciousCuisine]

I get them from the Asian markets nearby...
I know Melissa's Organics has them and does ship but they are out of them... :rolleyes: Icould ship you some (shhh! Don't tell customs :) ) but they may not stay fresh...I don't know how long it takes to get to you from me... :confused:

[Analeah]

Yay, I am so stoked I just found some dragonfruit today. It was just at a regular supermarket and I recognized it from the picture you posted here. Thanks so much for posting the pic about it because otherwise I probably wouldn't have recognized it or picked one up. How do you eat it and when do you know it is ripe? Also, I just tried some raw plantain banana for the first time and it is so good. It reminds me of eating banana bread! I wasn't sure how long to let it get ripe for either. When I opened it, it was mostly black with a couple yellow spots. Is it better to let it get all completely black? I was afraid it would start to mold or go bad or something so I ended up opening it maybe a little earlier than I should have? Any tips on this or the dragonfruit?

[Jeanne]

I bought a dragon fruit yesterday. What an interesting fruit! It looks like a prehistoric hand granade. The ones at the store were bright magenta outside with odd leafy points all around it, with a white inside with lots of black seeds throughout. The taste is very mild. It did remind me of a watermelo/kiwi combination. The visual was worth the $5.99 but I'll eat a $.30 kiwi instead next time. ;)

[Analeah]

wow you paid six bucks just for one? I don't remember what the cost was for the one I bought but I don't think it was that high. I think I am going to open it up today or tomorrow and try it out. The one I have is also really deep magenta on the outside.

[smasty]

Hey, I'm glad to see this thread come back around....


Dragonfruit...It looks and sounds wonderful! I'll keep an eye out for some.

Olives...I'm glad to see CC's previous comments on olives here...I just got sundried peruvian olives and they are amazing! I have to admit, these are my first raw olives. I've been having a few organic olives that were not raw. I'm amazed at the difference. I was thinking just last night how much they are like chocolate..but not. It's a hard thing to explain, and CC already touched on it. They do remind me of rich smooth dark chocolate. They are very comforting! I'm amazed how much only 2-3 olives really satisfy me. I'm soaking mine in sea salt water, and they give me the salt fix I seem to need a few times a week. I love sucking on the pits, too.

I wanted to add a comment about the Golden Nugget Squash I had on this thread that I forgot to mention. When diced on salads...it looks EXACTLY like cheddar cheese. I could close my eyes and imagine I was eating cheddar cheese all over my salad. Not that I'm pining for cheese, mind you, but it was kind of fun to pretend.

Ok...new food in my fridge...chayote squash. I haven't tried it yet...what new food sensation am I in for?

Sue