Exotic Fruits

While visiting family in Hawaii during my birthday week, I was treated to some fantastic backyard citrus fruits. Sweet grapefruit and the best oranges ever were nice treats after breakfasts and dinners at home.

While at the swap meet at Maui College, my aunt bought $10 worth of rambutan (it was a large bag) the furry looking fruit seen here.

I've seen rambutan before at the Korean markets but didn't try it til my aunt and I were walking around the swap meet together. The taste is much like a lychee. When the the shell is peeled away, the flesh inside is similar to lychee as well. There is an almond-shaped/sized pit inside.

I was on a high from this new taste experience, so I couldn't pass up the dragonfruit when I came across this table. The guy at this dragonfruit booth was kind of a jerk. He didn't offer any samples and wasn't helpful in any way. Still, my curiosity wouldn't let me walk away without one; I've always enjoyed dragonfruit-flavored drinks and candy, but here is the actual item. The color was incredible and the insides were very interesting. Sort of a grayish white with black seeds. The skin is waxy. I bought a large one for $7. My aunt had never tried one before either and these were grown locally in Kula.

Later, in the evening, we were wondering about the expense. We went to the Kahului Whole Foods to price dragonfruit. Shockingly, the fruit was less attractive and more than twice as expensive. I picked one similar in size to the one I'd purchased and weighed it. At $9.99/lb, it would have cost close to $20. No thanks! Got one in the fridge already.

Maybe this was a mistake, but with all the excellent meals, we let the dragonfruit sit in the fridge for a couple days. When I finally split it in half, I noticed the fruit was not the grayish color I was expecting, but pink. The texture was satisfying--a little melty the way watermelon melts as it is mostly water. It's a watery fruit. The seeds are soft and edible. I can see why this is made into a juice. There is a faint, odd odor. It's almost undetectable, and is what I have heard friends complain about when sipping dragonfruit Vitamin Water. I don't get it. $7? $20 for this? It wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't buy it again. My aunt said simply, "No wonder locals don't buy it." Who does? Rich haoles?

UPDATE: Dragonfruit 909. If you're intent on trying it for yourself, The Farm Store at Kellogg Ranch (Cal Poly Pomona) is selling for $5.99/lb.