The Surprising Fruits of Rosh Hashanah

1 ^{of 10} Dragon Fruit

It’s easy to see how this fruit, popular in Southeast Asia, got its name: The hot pink and green skin kind of looks like a flaming dragon heart. But don’t worry, it won’t burn your tongue. Slice it lengthwise, scoop out the seed-speckled interior like you would an avocado, and serve. I had this on my honeymoon in Thailand—it tastes like a sweet pear.

2 ^{of 10} Rambutan

Another fruit I discovered on my honeymoon. The name means hairy in the Indonesian language, and one blogger describes it as a “crazy hairy tentacle… egg-thing.” You don’t eat the skin. Inside, you’ll find a chewy white center resembling a lychee. It tastes like one too.

3 ^{of 10} Star Fruit

The Shehecheyanu Fruit my mother-in-law served at my first Rosh Hashanah meal at her house. The name describes its unusual shape. The entire fruit can be eaten, including the waxy skin—it tastes like a cross between an apple and a lime. For a treat, try some Starfruit Banana Crumble.

4 ^{of 10} Miracle Fruit

Was there a conspiracy to keep this berry out of the U.S.? Some people think so. Nevertheless, the secret is out. This West African red berry tastes a bit sour at first but has a remarkable ability to trick your taste buds. After the berry’s juice coats your tongue, sour foods suddenly taste sweet. I’ve never tried this myself… maybe it’ll be my Shehecheyanu Fruit in the future!

5 ^{of 10} Mangosteen

When our Thai tour guide handed us this fruit, my wife and I joked that it must be a Jewish mango… Mangostein, get it? Our Thai tour guide did not. One blogger who left Vietnam as a young girl says this is the fruit she missed most from her childhood. She described it as “an arpeggio of sweet and tart… a demitasse of acacia honey brightened with a squeeze of lime juice… the floral intensity of a white peach combined with the fresh snap of a slightly under-ripe pineapple.” In short, delicious.

6 ^{of 10} Israeli Jaffa Sweetie

Created in the Holy Land, this hybrid “Pomlit”—a cross between a grapefruit and a Pommelo (the breakfast staple’s fatter and sweeter cousin) is supposed to lower bad cholesterol and is an excellent source of antioxidants.

7 ^{of 10} Pawpaw

This exotic-sounding fruit isn’t so exotic after all… it grows in the Midwest! A Michigan farmer writing for Grit magazine says “a perfectly ripened pawpaw is reminiscent of a sweet homemade pudding with natural banana flavor, a bit of pineapple juice, and a pinch of vanilla extract thrown into the mix.”

8 ^{of 10} Sugar Apple

This Caribbean fruit, resembling an apple wearing armor, can often be found in Florida supermarkets. The inside is nothing like an apple—instead, you’ll find a slimy, white custard surrounding large, dark seeds. The trick to eating it is to suck the custard off the seeds, one by one.

9 ^{of 10} Cupuacu

How good could a fuzzy, brown, ugly melon taste? Well, according to those who call Cupuacu the “new superfood”, the white, buttery interior reminds one of bananas and chocolate. A common breakfast and dessert food in South America, its pulp is commonly used in body lotions.

10 ^{of 10} Longan

Also known as the dragon eye fruit because, as one blogger explains, this Asian fruit looks like an eyeball when the brown skin is peeled off. The flavor? It’s a mix of grape and lychee.

I’m looking forward to the strange fruit that will be on my family’s Rosh Hashanah table this year. What new fruit would you suggest?

L’Shanah Tovah to our Jewish readers, and may every one of you be inscribed for a fruitful new year.