Delicious Exotic Caribbean Hot Fruit 'Chow'

The first question you might have if you are not from the Caribbean is what is chow? It’s basically a well seasoned, flavorful spicy fruit salad.

It can be made with many fruits such as pineapple, mango, plums and pommecythere.

I decided to add three main fruits to mine

(1) Julie Mango fresh hand picked and fully organic

(2) Star Fruit or Carambola

'The original range of Averrhoa carambola is unknown today. It is believed that it may have originated from Sri Lanka or Moluccas, Indonesia, but has been cultivated in the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia for hundreds of years. They remain a local favorite in those areas but have also recently gained popularity in parts of East Asia and Queensland, Australia; as well as in the Pacific Islands, particularly Tahiti, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, and Guam. They are cultivated commercially in India, Southeast Asia, southern China, Taiwan, and Florida. They are also grown in Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, Brazil, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Mexico, Guyana and parts of Africa. In other areas they are usually grown as ornamentals, rather than for consumption.

The fruit is about 5 to 15 centimetres (2 to 6 inches) in length and is an oval shape. It usually has five prominent longitudinal ridges, but in rare instances it can have as few as four or as many as eight. In cross section, it resembles a star. The skin is thin, smooth, and waxy and turns a light to dark yellow when ripe. The flesh is translucent and light yellow to yellow in color. Each fruit can have 10 to 12 flat light brown seeds about 6 to 13 mm (0.25 to 0.5 in) in width and enclosed in gelatinous aril. Once removed from the fruit, they lose viability within a few days

The entire fruit is edible, including the slightly waxy skin. The flesh is crunchy, firm, and extremely juicy. It does not contain fibers and has a texture similar in consistency to that of grapes. Carambolas are best consumed shortly after they ripen, when they are yellow with a light shade of green or just after all traces of green have disappeared. They will also have brown ridges at the edges and feel firm. Fruits picked while still slightly green will turn yellow in storage at room temperature, but will not increase in sugar content. Overripe carambola will be yellow with brown spots and can become blander in taste and soggier in consistency.' Source Wikipedia

(3) Pommecythere

Explanation of Pommecythere from, Nasser Khan (Sunday, July 31, 2016). 'Pommecythere was first introduced into the Caribbean region, to Jamaica in 1782 and then again by Captain Bligh in 1791. In the Caribbean, pommecythere is grown primarily as a tree in home gardens and as an intercrop with cocoa. In Trinidad, however, small orchards of pommecythere have been established to cater for those periods when mango is out of season (during the latter part of the year).

This fruit is unusual since it is called by several names within the West Indies. In Grenada, which has a vibrant export trade for this fruit, it is called golden apple, but also referred to as June plum and Jew plum. In Guyana, it is known as golden apple. Besides T&T, the name pommecythere is used in St Lucia and Dominica. In South-East Asia it is known as ambarella.

As the fruit matures, the dark green skin colour turns bright yellow to orange when fruit is ripe. Ripe fruit fall from the tree. This attractive golden colour and crisp texture of the fruit is perhaps why it is named golden apple.

The seed is known as a stone and is characterised by numerous spines that radiate outwards, upwards and downwards. These spines protrude into the flesh. Inside this spiny receptacle is located between four-five seeds.

Fruits can be eaten in its green state (texture of flesh is crisp) or when ripe (juicy, soft and very sweet). Fruit contains high Vitamin C and ripe fruit have high sucrose content. Green fruit are peeled, chopped and cooked as a vegetable (curried), used in a chow or the flesh removed from the seed and made into pickles and fresh chutneys. Half-ripe fruit are also stewed. A pommecythere juice is one of the most delicious and refreshing there is.'

The additional ingredients include

• Minced fresh garlic

• Culantro or in the Caribbean it is known as "shado beni"

• Fresh Hot Pepper

• Salt

• Black Pepper

• Sugar

• Lime Juice

Method

Wash, peel and cut fruit into bite size pieces.
Add salt and mix well, let sit for five minutes so that the juices start to incorporate.
Add lime juice, black pepper, and sugar.
let sit for another five minutes
The finally add hot pepper to suit your ability to handle heat.

Serve and enjoy!