Tamarillos - ‘tomate de arbol’ - Lost food of the Incas

 Do you know what these are?......
Have you tasted them?



Since I have started playing around with food photography, I have been trying fruits I have never tasted before in the search of something different to photograph.

Their origins read like an ancient history book.

and all these fruits are from other countries, so in a way tasting these fruits takes you to their origins. I love going to local markets when travelling, seeing the fresh produce and tasting new flavours. 

Here you can see the market in Bercy, Paris.  Wow, look at those cherries and raspberries!

I have tried -

Persimmons                   and       Cumquats  from China

















  





Pomegranates from Iran to the Himalayas

and Quinces  from Turkey

                        

My latest sweet tangy tart taste sensation is Tamarillos - lost food of the Incas.

According to the New Zealand Tamarillo Growers Association - 

Tamarillos are a relative of the potato, tomato, eggplant and capsicum pepper. Also known as the tree tomato it is native to Central and South America.  Listed among the lost foods of the Incas and known as the ‘tomate de arbol’, tree tomatoes have all but disappeared from their native habitat.

Tamarillos were first introduced into New Zealand from Asia in the late 1800’s.  Originally only yellow and purple-fruited strains were produced.  The red tamarillo was developed in the 1920’s by an Auckland nurseryman from seed from South America.

Tamarillos rate very highly as a source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants when compared with other common fruits and vegetables.

Tamarillos can be eaten raw (don't eat the skin), cooked, in savoury and sweet dishes, and in chutneys, jams and sauces.      

I found a very simple recipe - just halve, dolop on a bit of butter, spoon on some brown sugar, grill under the griller for a minute or so, and then serve with yoghurt. I added some Pomegranate seeds too.   Oh my goodness! Delicious! Delicious! 

I am going to have to try my friend's recommendation  -  "I peel and slice them, sprinkle them with a good bit of icing sugar and leave them to sit a few hours or overnight. You get this wonderful sweet and tangy flavours. Looks fantastic and tastes great with Pavlova."

  Have you tried Tamarillos?  Is there another interesting fruit or vegetable you have just discovered?
 If you haven't tried Tamarillos before you should! ps - don't eat the skin. 
I am going to put some away in the freezer to add into my tomato chutney next summer. 

I have just added three tamarillos to the tomato sauce in this Pumpkin & Recotta Cannelloni - they certainly added an extra tang. You peel them by first plunging them in boiling water for a few minutes - like you would do with tomatoes. They can then be peeled easily.
I wish I knew how to make cannelloni look less messy on the plate!

Want to find out more about Tamarillos? You will find lots of background info, recipes etc by  clicking onto the New Zealand Tamarillo Growers Association site here - Tamarillo

Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to hearing from you.
I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday and Travel Photo Thursday  Please click on the link to see contributions from around the world.   
Mosaic Monday at Little Red House
Our World Tuesday
Travel Photo Thursday 

You might also like - 

Persimmons and pasta 
The fruits of summer
Cumquats - from tree to marmalade