What Is This Mystery Fruit?

We 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?

It's not a guava, sapote, or a custard apple.

The texture is wrong to be guava.

Looks a lot like sapote.

Is it fruit or vegetable ?
It looks similar to something that we in India call as "Tinda" or "Indian Round Gourd".

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?

no idea, but reading the first 4 comments in rapid succession made me laugh out loud! tgif man

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

Could it be a star apple/milk fruit?

Yeah I think it's either santol or star apple... two really yumm fruits!!!!

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/

Not a pawpaw, feijoa, green mango, sapote or star apple. Seeds wrong for all of those (and exterior wrong for many of them...)

They are green walnuts, and you must use them to make Vin de Noix! You will not regret it!

I'd say, definitely a custard apple!

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.

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?

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

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.

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.