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What Is This Mystery Fruit?

2008_07_14-MysteryFruit.jpgWe saw this mystery fruit at the Alemany Market last weekend. Does anyone know what it is?

 
 

The farmer who was selling it didn't speak much English, so we didn't quite understand what he said. This fruit is round and green. The rind is firm but not hard; the shell can be pierced with a fingernail. Inside, the shell is about 1/6 of an inch thick, and white. There are white seeds inside. It's got the same color and texture as a cucumber, but isn't a cucumber. The smell is fresh and grassy.

Does anyone know what this is?

(Image: Kathryn Hill)

Comments (28)

Could it be a type of guava?

posted by chiffonade on July 11th 2008 at 9:11am
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White Sapote?

posted by riss on July 11th 2008 at 9:12am
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custard apple?

posted by meems on July 11th 2008 at 9:27am
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It's not a guava, sapote, or a custard apple.

posted by Kathryn Hill on July 11th 2008 at 9:29am
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The texture is wrong to be guava.

Looks a lot like sapote.

posted by callbob on July 11th 2008 at 9:30am
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Is it fruit or vegetable ?
It looks similar to something that we in India call as "Tinda" or "Indian Round Gourd".

posted by kanchans on July 11th 2008 at 9:35am
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinda

posted by kanchans on July 11th 2008 at 9:35am
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/12103981@N03/1486266814/

It resembles the sapote, at least from the outside.

posted by riss on July 11th 2008 at 9:36am
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Wrong seeds for sapote. Looks like tinda on outside, but I need to see what the inside of one looks like ... anyone got a picture of tinda cut in half and showing the interior?

posted by Kathryn Hill on July 11th 2008 at 10:03am
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no idea, but reading the first 4 comments in rapid succession made me laugh out loud! tgif man

posted by akostalas on July 11th 2008 at 10:18am
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I think this could be a fruit from the Philippines called a Santol http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/santol
But I think the fruits in your photos are not that ripe yet

posted by missmimichi on July 11th 2008 at 10:38am
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Could it be a star apple/milk fruit?

posted by riss on July 11th 2008 at 10:48am
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Yeah I think it's either santol or star apple... two really yumm fruits!!!!

posted by missmimichi on July 11th 2008 at 10:54am
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green mango!!!

posted by BostonGal on July 11th 2008 at 3:00pm
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Feijoa?

posted by esclave on July 11th 2008 at 3:48pm
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It looks like Tinda

posted by Miss Pea on July 11th 2008 at 6:16pm
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I think I have this same fruit growing in my backyard... I have no idea what it is either - here's a closer photo of the inside and seeds:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mmh/2519752138/

posted by mmharlan on July 12th 2008 at 5:36am
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Looks like a paw paw to me!

posted by rachel on July 12th 2008 at 7:21am
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Not a pawpaw, feijoa, green mango, sapote or star apple. Seeds wrong for all of those (and exterior wrong for many of them...)

posted by QuinceTart on July 12th 2008 at 3:54pm
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They are green walnuts, and you must use them to make Vin de Noix! You will not regret it!

posted by LucyVanel on July 14th 2008 at 12:06am
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Not green walnuts.

posted by Kathryn Hill on July 14th 2008 at 8:35am
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I'd say, definitely a custard apple!

posted by splim on July 14th 2008 at 10:28am
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Not a custard apple. Different seeds, and the scent wasn't sweet. It smelled fresh and grassy, like a cucumber or some sort of gourd.

posted by Kathryn Hill on July 14th 2008 at 10:51am
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Sounds a lot like a tinda. It's hard to see in the picture here- what are the seeds like? Are they pumpkin or squash-like, perhaps?

... and what does it _taste_ like?

posted by Read: Delicious on July 14th 2008 at 10:51am
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this is a mangousteen fruit, but the fruit is green, not really ready to eat.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangosteen


When the fruit is ready to eat, it's very delicious.

--
kiv

posted by Vico on July 15th 2008 at 6:44am
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Not green walnuts, custard apple or unripe mangosteen.

Mangosteens have a very distinct sepal (green leaf-like bit at the stem, cupping the fruit). Green walnuts (and green almonds) have recently been available at Alemany, but these aren't them. Custard apples have a thin, distinct skin and these are not them either.

I've never met a tinda, but that seems like the best guess yet.

posted by QuinceTart on July 15th 2008 at 12:44pm
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Definitely looks like "Tinda" an Indian vegetable/ gourd. The botanical name is Praecitrullus fistulosus.

We peel it with a peeler before cooking. And discard the seeds and soft white flesh but keep the firm white parts. Tastes yummy.

posted by ajdt on July 9th 2009 at 8:14am
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cajamanga

posted by crisminiaturas on July 9th 2009 at 11:48pm
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