While I was on the hunt for artichokes, I stumbled across something a bit more exotic: the Monstera Deliciosa fruit. The fruit is sold with a note wrapped around it like a map to buried treasure. I was immediately intrigued by this strange, scaly...thing. For $5.99 I figured why not try it out.
The instructions mention its roots in Central America, Mexico & Guatemala specifically. The fruit grows like a large rod out of large leaves, and actually peels itself!
The steps to ripen and ultimately eat the fruit are few, but somewhat mysterious:
1. Place upright in a tall-ish glass, root at the top.
2. Wait.
I had no idea how long it would take to ripen, but quickly learned that it does, actually, happen overnight. Well, maybe over a few nights. The kernels slowly peel off and pop off, in that order, revealing a fleshy white underbelly that smells strongly of passion fruit (or alternately, something like a really bad fruity version of a car air freshener). Supposedly, you wait for it to fully peel, then scoop out the flesh. You must wait until it has fully peeled so as to remove probability that you will ingest oxalic acid and be poisoned. Sounds delicious, no?
Over the last 24 hours I've become more intrigued, but Jedd has become more disgusted. It's to the point where he can't even look at the thing. I will admit, I let out a small scream when I first came upon its bloomed state after being gone for just 14 hours.
Sadly, while I'm intrigued by the ripening process and want to see it through, this has been a fully unappetizing process, and my monster will likely go in the compost bin.
UPDATE: It has ripened about as far as I can go...and I said I'd taste it so I did. It tastes pretty much like it looks -- a ripe, mushy banana-like-pineapple-y goo. Mmmmm.
That's a brilliant fruit - never seen anything like it!
Posted by: Su-Lin | August 24, 2007 at 07:51 PM
Wow, that is really unusual. It does look bannanaaaeee on the inside.
Posted by: Lisa | September 27, 2007 at 07:30 PM