PRODUCT INFO You can eat jujube fruit raw. Small, circle or oval shaped, raw fresh jujubes are extremely rare to find locally grown. Green when they're immature, they become yellow-green with red-brown spots as they ripen and the fully mature fruit is entirely red. But you can enjoy eating them anytime from yellow-green to full red, however, the redder they are the sweeter they'll be. Crisp and sweet, they have a texture reminiscent of an apple. SEASON Jujube is available between Jan - Mar.
PRODUCT INFO Star Gooseberry is a type of fruit. There are both sour and sweet varieties. They are often pickled, welded or preserved. USES Star Gooseberry is eaten fresh, and is occasionally used as flavoring for other dishes. It is candied in sugar or pickled in salt or preserves. it is used to make vinegar as well as eaten raw, soaked in salt or vinegar-salt solution. SEASON Star Gooseberry is available between June-August.
PRODUCT INFO The Salacca (Salak) is a crunchy fruit that has a taste that combines the flavours of apple, banana, and pineapple. It is a good source of antioxidants that cannot be matched by other tropical fruits. SEASON The Salacca (Salak) is available nearly year round.
PRODUCT INFO Madan Fruit avant-garde Madan fruit is high in vitamin C, beta-carotene, as well as important minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, etc. Madan fruits are very rich in vitamin A and calcium. Since the fruits taste quite sour, so it is not easy to eat these fresh. So these are used in side dishes, salads and made into sauces. The fruit of madan is also processed to make preserved fruit in syrup, pickled fruit and dried fruit. Fermented fruit is stuffed with minced pork to make a soup, or it can be made into a sweet. SEASON Madan will produce a yield for about 2-3 years, will produce and have offspring according to species.
PRODUCT INFO Mangosteens are a delicious treat often referred to as the "Queen of Fruit." They're about the size of a tangerine, and they have a thick purple shell which contains the soft, white edible fruit inside. Mangosteen is a must-eat fruit in Thailand! The flavor is a combination of strawberry, peach and vanilla ice cream. The white flesh is very sweet with a very slight tartness. The tartness is caused by the thick skin that tightly encases the fruit. Mangosteen is known in Thailand as the a 'queen of fruits' due to its extensive health benefits. SEASON Mangosteen is availble between Apr/May - September.
PRODUCT INFO Kra Thon, Katon, the santol, sentul or cotton fruit, is a tropical fruit native to maritime Southeast Asia. Santol fruit, botanically classified as Sandoricum koetjape, is one of two edible fruits found in the Meliaceae, or Mahogany family. The fleshy fruits are known for their sweet and sour flavor and are widely cultivated throughout tropical lowlands in Southeast Asia, sold in fresh markets as a raw snack. SEASON Santol is availble between Apr - Jul/Aug.
PRODUCT INFO Pomelo it's the largest and among the sweetest of the citrus fruits, with a thick rind and few seeds. Pomelos vary in color, from dark green to pale yellow. The inner fruit ranges in color from white to orange to pink, and can be eaten fresh or used as a finishing element in both sweet and savory dishes. SEASON Pomelos is available between Aug - Nov.
PRODUCT INFO The coconut is a perennial plant belonging to the palm family ( Arecaceae ) and is the only living species of the genus Cocos. The coconut is a plant that can be used in a variety of ways, such as water and the pulp of young coconuts being eaten. The pulp of the mature fruit is grated and squeezed to make coconut milk. Coconut shells are used to invent things such as dippers, lanterns, etc. In addition, coconuts are classified as a kind of auspicious plant. According to the royal textbook of Brahmachat Has determined to plant coconuts in the east of the house. for prosperity. Young Coconuts are mainly used for the coconut water but the soft, sweet, delicate meat is also a real treat. They are harvested young and their green outer skin is pared away to a white cylindrical husk with a pointy, pencil-like tip. Inside the white husk is the familiar round coconut with its hard, fibrous shell, or the nut. Crack that open and you'll get to the sweet, refreshing coconut water. SEASON Coconuts are available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO The rambutan is a medium-sized tropical tree in the family Sapindaceae. The name also refers to the edible fruit produced by this tree. The rambutan is native to Southeast Asia. It is closely related to several other edible tropical fruits including the lychee, longan, pulasan, and mamoncillo. The fruit is related to the lychee and longan fruits and has a similar appearance when peeled. Its translucent white flesh has a sweet yet creamy taste and contains a seed in its middle.Rambutan is very nutritious and may offer health benefits ranging from weight loss and better digestion to increased resistance to infections. SEASON Rambutan is available between Apr - Jul/Aug.
PRODUCT INFO Water chestnuts is "Heaw" in Thai. Water chestnuts is high in fibre and help decreasing the absorption of fat and cholesterol. It can help maintaining blood sugar level, increasing dietary fibre and lower risk of cancer, as well as improving digestive system and relieving constipation. They have a crisp, white flesh that can be enjoyed raw or cooked and are a common addition to Asian dishes such as stir-fries, chop suey, curries and salads. SEASON Water Chestnut are available all season January-December.
PRODUCT INFO The lychee fruit has a sweet, aromatic taste to it. Some people say it tastes like a grape with a hint of rose, while others claim it tastes more like a pear or watermelon. The combination of sweet and tart means the lychee pairs well with other tropical flavors. SEASON Lychee are available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Originating in SE Asia, this sweet and juicy fruit is a little like passion fruit in texture, and is recognizable from its pale yellowy-brown skin and smokey white flesh. SEASON Long Kong is availble between July - September/ October.
PRODUCT INFO Yardlong bean should be picked young while it is at its most crisp, sweet and tender. Young beans develop within sixty days of cultivation, and the long pods grow in pairs from the stem. Known for their extraordinary length beans can grow up to thirty inches in length but for best flavor and texture should be harvested when between twelve and eighteen inches. The bean pods have a spindly, cylindrical form with a smooth, grooved, firm texture and green-colored shell. The bean pod's flesh contains succulent, pale, lime green peas (the plant's seeds) with eyes similar in shape to black eyed peas. If beans are allowed to fully mature, they can be shelled and the seeds used as other shelled beans and peas. The flavor of China Long beans is grassy and slightly sweet with a more intense bean flavor than traditional green beans. Of all the China Long bean varieties the green is known to be the sweetest and most tender. Yardlong bean are an incredible vegetarian source for nutrition. They are rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, protein, fiber, folate, magnesium, thiamin, potassium, and iron. USES Yardlong bean should be very fresh when purchased. When young and tender they can be used raw and are a welcome addition to green and grain salads. Unlike conventional green beans China Long beans tend to get waterlogged when boiled or steamed so when preparing in this method be sure to only do so for a short duration. Their texture will be most favorable when they are stir-fried, sauted, grilled, dry-fried, or deep-fried. China Long beans can also be preserved and pickled. Pair with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, bitter or spicy Asian greens, Sichuan peppercorns, black bean sauce, hot peppers, oyster sauce, curry spice, beef, pork and chicken. China Long beans will keep, dry and refrigerated. For best flavor and texture use within three to four days before beans become wilted and floppy. SEASON Yardlong beans are available year-round with a peak season in the summer and fall months.
PRODUCT INFO Thai taro corms widely vary in appearance, depending on cultivation time, soil, and climate. The corms are generally small to medium in size, averaging 12 to 13 centimeters in length, and are round to oblong in shape. Each taro plant produces one central corm, and the cormâ??s variegated dark to light brown skin is rough with an uneven, scaly texture comprised of faint horizontal rings and fiber-like hairs. Underneath the surface, the flesh is dense, dry, and starchy, primarily white with subtle purple speckling. Thai taro must be cooked, developing a smooth, thick, sticky, and semi-fluffy consistency. The flesh has a mild, earthy, sweet, nutty, and subtly musky flavor. In addition to the corms, the plants produce large dark green heart-shaped leaves on long stems, connecting into the corms. The young leaves are edible when cooked, providing a vegetal, grassy, and green flavor. USES Thai taro is an excellent source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract, vitamin E to protect the cells against free radical damage, potassium to balance fluid levels, and vitamin C to strengthen the immune system while reducing inflammation. The corms also provide copper to develop connective tissues, calcium and phosphorus to build strong bones and teeth, magnesium to regulate nerve functioning, and other amounts of B vitamins, iron, zinc, vitamin K, and manganese. In addition to the corms, Thai taro leaves are a rich source of vitamin K to assist in faster wound healing, vitamin C to boost the immune system, and other nutrients, including iron, calcium, vitamins A and E, magnesium, and vitamin B2 SEASON Thai taro is available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Winter melon are large fruits, averaging 15 to 80 centimeters in length, and have a bulbous, round to oblong shape with blunt, curved ends. The melons are covered in a thin but tough, light to dark green skin, often enveloped in a textured, chalky layer of wax, depending on the variety. Young Winter melons also bear a pale, fuzzy coating of hair that disappears as the fruit matures. Underneath the hard surface, the flesh is thick, firm, aqueous, and white, encasing a large central cavity filled with pithy membranes and cream-colored oval seeds. The seeds are edible once cooked and have a nutty, neutral taste. Winter melons are not typically consumed raw and contain a mild, vegetal, and subtly grassy flavor reminiscent of a watermelon rind or cucumber. When cooked, the flesh becomes transparent and softens, absorbing accompanying flavors. USES Winter melons are an excellent source of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system and fiber to stimulate and regulate the digestive tract. The fruits also provide antioxidants to protect the body against environmental aggressors, magnesium to maintain healthy nerve functioning, phosphorus and calcium to promote strong bones and teeth, and contain lower amounts of folate, zinc, and iron. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Winter melons are viewed as a cooling or yin ingredient and are used to reduce inflammation and balance the body through their alkaline properties. SEASON Winter melons are available year-round, with a peak harvest in the late summer through fall.
PRODUCT INFO Wing beans are lime green and elongated with a square shape and four feathery, winged accents running from tip to end like the tail of an arrow. The pods are straight or curved with a smooth and waxy surface. They can grow up to 30 centimeters long but are usually harvested at 10 and 15 centimeters, before the peas have fully developed. Wing beans are sweet, like many pea varieties, and offer an asparagus-like flavor and crunchy texture. Wing beans are an excellent source of copper, iron, manganese, tryptophan, and the essential amino acid isoleucine. They are also rich in protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, all of the essential B-complex vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. The pods, leaves and roots all contain a similar nutrient makeup. USES Wing beans are most often cooked. Young pods can be eaten raw in salads, sliced very thinly, or lightly blanched. They are prepared like French beans or snap peas by pinching off the ends and cutting into bite-sized sections. Use in stir-frys, sautes or add to soups and stews towards the end of the cooking process. The delicate pods pick up the bold flavors of chiles, garlic and spices. Young pods can be pickled. Mature beans are halved, and their seeds prepared and eaten like soybeans. Dried seeds can be ground and used as a flour substitute. Store Wing beans in a bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. SEASON Wing beans are available in the late spring and through the fall months.
PRODUCT INFO Water Mimosa is a wetland plant which has a taproot that attaches to edges of water bodies, such as rivers and banks. The plant produces long, woody, brown-purple stems which can grow to 1.5 meters in length. They have a spongy, fibrous white covering at the nodes. This covering, called an aerenchyma, is an air-conducting tissue. It allows the stems, which grow in a dense, interwoven manner, to be bouyant and float on the top of the water. From the stems grow branches, which bear small, olive green leaves that grow separately, in opposite pairs. The leaves are oblong in shape, and measure arond 4 to 14 millimeters in length, to 1 to 3 millimeters in breadth. Stems have of 8 to 40 pairs of leaves, which grow to create an attractive feathery effect. They are slightly toothsome, and have a texture akin to kangkong. They have a strong mushroom-like umami taste with a hint of cabbage flavor. Water Mimosa is considered to be a nutritious vegetable which is high in calcium and iron. It also contains vitamin A, vitamin C, protein and riboflavin. USES The young stems, shoots and leaves of Water Mimosa can be cooked and eaten in stir fries. Water Mimosa is most often cooked like kangkong, along with soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chiles and garlic. It can also be found in recipes with noodles, minced chicken or fried fish. Store Water Mimosa in a loose bag in the refrigerator, where it will last for up to a week. SEASON Water Mimosa is available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO Yellow corn is a variety of sweet corn. Its ears are wrapped in tightly bound lime hued husks with silks and a tassel that extend out from the tip. The yellow kernels are packed in tight almost uniform rows. A single ear of corn can contain up to 400 kernels. Freshly harvested yellow corn at its peak ripeness is sweet, offering flavors of almond and sugar, the kernels so succulent, the skin pops as you bite into it. As the corn matures, the kernels lose their milky consistency giving way to a starchy and doughy consistency. At this point, the corn is considered a grain crop and is best suited for processing or feedstock. USES Yellow corn is a significant resource of Vitamin A. As corn kernels mutated from white to yellow, they acquired chemicals called cartenoids. Of these cartenoids is beta carotene, which produces Vitamin A. Very little attention has been emphasized on yellow corn's significant beta carotene levels until the early 21st Century. Yellow corn, easy to grow in developing regions of Africa and Latin America, where corn is heavily relied upon as a food source, could actually keep millions of children from going blind. Yellow corn is now being bred to have at least 10 times higher the amount of beta carotene than average sweet corn varieties. SEASON Yellow corn is available year-round.
PRODUCT INFO White Turmeric resembles ginger in its shape and size. Each rhizome, or underground stem, is multi-branched with nearly transparent, pale-brown skin that will darken with maturity. Each rhizome and off-shoot can measure anywhere from 5 to 12 centimeters long. The flesh is a pale ivory to light yellow and has an aroma that combines unripe, green mangos and ginger with the earthiness of a carrot. White Turmeric has a bitter flavor and has a mild pungency very similar to ginger. White Turmeric is a good source of starch and therefore energy.The oils contain curcumin, a powerful anti-inflammatory, and other compounds that provide antimicrobial, antifungal, antiulcer, antivenom and anticancer benefits. USES White Turmeric is used in its raw form as well as in powdered form. In India, fresh 'Mango ginger' is washed and peeled and then cut or sliced into strips and pickled or sliced into thin rounds and served atop green salads. In Indonesia, White Turmeric is cut into pieces and dehydrated, oven or air-dried and powdered for use as a dried spice. In larger quantities, the powder is used as a substitute for arrowroot or barley. In Thailand, young roots are used as a vegetable and in curry pastes. Fresh White Turmeric can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The peeled root can be frozen for up to 6 months. SEASON White Turmeric is available in the spring and through the fall months.
PRODUCT INFO Finger grass is a branching herb comprised of straight, hollow stems and elongated lanceolate to elliptical leaves that grow in an opposite formation around the cylindrical stems. The leaves are slender, tapering to a point, and average 2 to 6 centimeters in length and .5 to 1 centimeter in width. The grey-green leaves are also smooth to the touch, thin, and pliable with finely serrated edges. The stems are thick in appearance but have a hollow center, creating a smooth, crisp, and watery texture. The pale green stems also have a light, succulent, and spongy consistency, lightly coated in fine hairs. Finger grass emits a refreshing, citrus, and herbal aroma and the stems and leaves have a vegetal, citrusy, and earthy, spice-filled flavor. Some consumers recognize the leaves as having a bright and acidic quality, filled with undertones of sweet cumin and curry flavor mixed with notes of lemon and dill. In addition to the leaves and stems, Finger grass seasonally produces tubular flowers that showcase pale pink, purple, to light blue hues. USES Finger grass has a bright, complex flavoring mainly used as a fresh finishing element on savory main dishes. The leaves should be washed and gently torn, chopped, or crushed to release their flavor, and they can be sprinkled into salads, minced into dips and marinades, or used as an edible garnish for roasted meats, light sauces, or grain dishes. In Southeast Asia, finger grass is frequently used in Vietnamese cuisine and Cambodian and Thai cuisine on a smaller scale. The leaves are traditionally served fresh in the center of the dinner table, along with other herbs and raw vegetables. These accompaniments are added to curries, stews, and soups such as pho, and each guest can determine how much of each herb is incorporated into their dish for custom flavor combinations. Finger grass can also be sauteed or steamed as a simple side dish or the stems can be roughly chopped and added to stir-fries. While more untraditional, some mixologists in Southeast Asia have begun muddling finger grass into a refreshing cocktail to modernize the herb. In Cambodia, finger grass is placed on the roof of houses and dehydrated for extended use as a dried herb. Finger grass pairs well with meats including poultry, beef, pork, and fish, other herbs such as lemongrass, basil, and mint, steamed rice, lemon, lime, bell peppers, peas, broccoli, water spinach, carrots, and peanuts. Whole, unwashed Finger grass is highly perishable and will only keep for a few days in the refrigerator when loosely wrapped in plastic or a damp paper towel. The herb should be used immediately for the best quality and flavor. Season Finger grass are available year-round in Southeast Asia.
