Fruit Finds in Hong Kong

Welcome to my first(?) food-themed Travel Tuesday! Do you have a favorite fruit? I grew up usually having fruit as dessert instead of actual dessert-dessert, so I can’t pick just one, but today, I’m gonna be talking about some of my fruit finds in Hong Kong!

(Granted, these can be found in other places as well, but not for the same lovely pricing! Some of these are my favorites and others are new discoveries!)

Fruit Finds in Hong Kong

Passion fruit (百香果/熱情果)

I pretty much love anything passion fruit-flavored, but I’d never actually had a fresh passion fruit until last month! I happened to catch a small sign that said “百香果” while I was walking by a small grocery stand in China and it was ~$1.45 for 7 of em’, so we got a bunch and went to town! You can see what the inside looks like in the above picture (bottom left)!

Custard/Sugar Apple (番荔枝)

I only recently discovered the english name to this one and I am decidedly confused since it’s nothing like an apple. That being said, it’s also nothing like anything I’ve ever tasted either, but you need to try it someday. This looks kinda like a slightly less lumpy artichoke on the outside and has creamy white flesh that’s sweet and all kinds of delicious. It tends to have a bunch of seeds though, so have a trash can nearby.

Mangosteen (山竹)

This looks like a giant thing of black garlic, but has squishy white flesh that is tangy and sweet. To open it up, just grab it and twist it down the middle so you can get to the flesh! (They’re pictured on the left!)

Yumberry (楊梅)

Also known as Chinese bayberries, yumberries look kindasorta like raspberries and have a sweet/tart flavor that’s somewhat reminiscent of pomegranates. They’re rich in vitamins A, C, and E, and are also a good souce of folate!

Salak/Snakefruit (蛇皮果)

As the name may suggest (the Chinese name basically translates to “snakeskin fruit,” the outside of this fruit looks a whole lot like snakeskin. If you rip from the pointy end, you’ll be able to remove the shell pretty easily. The flesh is white and sweet with a slight zing to it. Wasn’t my favorite, but curiosity got the better of me so I figured I’d try it out!

Lychee (荔枝)

This hails from the southern Chinese provinces and has a sweet translucent-ish white flesh that’s sweet and delicious. It’s sold in cans over here and can also be found fresh in Asian supermarkets!

Durian (榴莲)

This is known as the “king of fruits,” has been banned from several public spaces in Asia. People have likened the smell to old gym socks and most people either hate it or love it. (I love it, but am unfortunately the only person in my family who does. My grandma and I used to get banished to the garage side door leading to the backyard and would sit there to eat it. I haven’t had anyone to eat it with since she passed away.)

Earlier this year, I found out that my cooking/hiking buddy also loves durian–we ended up going up to NYC for a durian feast/buffet. It was glorious! But I also discovered that it apparently has a fair amount of tryptophan in it, so I took a long nap afterward, hahaha. I once googled how many people had died from being beaned on the head by one of these–don’t they look like they could be weapons?

Dragonfruit (火龙果)

Dragonfruit, also known as pitaya, doesn’t actually have much of a taste to it, but it has a kiwi-like consistency and every now and then, you can find a sweet one! They’ve definitely grown in popularity over the last couple years in the states and you can find em’ often in drinks and smoothie bowls! It’s pictured on the left below! (The one on the right = giant plums that they call “dinosaur eggs” in Cantonese!)

• Have you ever tried any of these fruits?
• Which one would you want to try?