 Traditional African fruit is a great addition to any menu, so here is a list, with descriptions, of some of the fruits you can serve at your wedding!
Cashew Fruit: Cashew fruit grows on a large tree. and only one nut hangs from the bottom of each fruit. The small fruit is either yellow or rosy red and is sour enough to make your whole mouth pucker!
Baobab: The dried, powdered leaves of this enormous tree, which the Hausa call kuka, are added to soups and stews to give them a slippery texture similar to okra. The fruit of the tree is a large oval, 10 to 12 inches long. It is downy on the outside, with a woody shell covering compartments filled with fibrous pulp. It is sometimes called monkey bread. Powdered baobab may be found in African food stores, or by mail order.
Guava: This round fruit ranges from 1 to 4 inches in diameter. A thin green or yellow skin covers the soft and fragrant pinkish fruit with many tiny seeds in the center. Guavas do not keep very well and the fresh fruit is only available in warmer climates. Northerners can buy guava jelly, guava nectar and dried guava slices.
Breadfruit: This round, bright green fruit grows on a large tree. It is about 8 inches in diameter, seedless, and covered with a thick rind. After ripening fully, it develops a sour taste, so it should be used before it becomes soft. Breadfruit has a mealy texture, and can be eaten raw, in a sauce, or simply peeled, boiled and served with a butter sauce. Breadfruit is sometimes available fresh in groceries, or can be purchased canned. It should not be confused with jackfruit, which is much larger, oblong, and contains large seeds.
 Pitanga Cherry: This juicy red fruit with a unique taste grows on a large decorative shrub. The cherries are 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter, and ribbed from top to bottom. They are also called Surinam cherries, or Brazilian cherries. Pitanga cherries make excellent jelly. However, you need to check with your local exotic food store, or have them specially shipped in, as they are not usually available outside of tropical countries.
Cizaki: These small, dark red berries have 4 to 5 hard seeds, and a sticky white latex juice. They can be used for jams or jellies.
Coconut: The fruit of the coconut palm has a greenish-brown outer husk 2 to 3 inches thick covered by a brown hairy nut. Inside the white meat surrounds the coconut water. You can drink the water, or use it in cooking. The meat is edible and can be grated for cooking. You may also find small, young coconuts available; the husk can be sliced off with a sharp knife. Inside, the nut will be creamy coloured and fibrous, but may not have the brown, hairy covering as of yet. Crack the nut with a hammer to get at the water and meat. The meat will be thinner, and soft enough to scoop out of the shell with a spoon. There is also.more water in a young coconut.
Plantain: Originally from Asia, the plantain looks like a large, green banana, which turns yellow and then black as it ripens. This fruit should not be eaten raw, but can be fried, roasted, broiled, boiled, mashed or grilled.
Mango: The giant leafy mango tree is a common sight in West Africa with smooth, heavy fruit which falls to the ground once ripe. Mangoes start out green and hard, but end up turning softer and rosy as they mature. You must peel before eating, and slice the fruit away from the large, flat yellow pit in the center. The yellow fruit will taste sweeter if it is allowed to ripen fully. Mangoes are easy to find in the produce section of most supermarkets.
Avocado: This fruit is about the size and shape of a pear, and often called avocado pear. The dark green skin, which can be bumpy or smooth, covers a soft, light green, buttery flesh. A hard, oval pit is in the enter of the fruit.
Papaya: This fruit, which comes in many sizes, is rounded on one end and more cone-shaped on the other. The green skin turns to yellow as it ripens. The pink-coloured fruit has a small circle of round, dark seeds in the center, which should be removed before eating. Paw-paw makes a very pretty fruit salad or puree for a pudding or garnish. You can usually find it in the produce section of your supermarket. |
