Tropical Fruit of the Week: Terong Belanda


One fantastic thing about traveling to or living in a country that's unfamiliar to you, is that you encounter many interesting and unusual foods.  In my case, Indonesia is loaded with a cornucopia of tropical fruit, some I have tasted before, but many are ones with which I am completely unfamiliar.  Such is the case with this one I recently stumbled upon:  terong belanda.  Outside of Indonesia it is also known as tamarillo, tree tomato, or Dutch eggplant.

Tamarillo is native to South America, but it is grown in tropical and semi-tropical regions all over the world. The tamarillo tree is fairly short and stocky and often resembles a bush and seldom grows to be more than five meters tall. It's become especially prevalent in New Zealand as that nation is attempting to develop it as a cash crop.  

To me it was the consistency of a persimmon or something similar and it tasted a bit like a passion fruit, but a tiny bit sour--really I would say the taste is fairly unique. The seeds are soft and edible and it is highly nutritious, loaded especially with Vitamins A and C. I found it to be a refreshing taste treat, but I don't think it's commonly found in Jakarta as this was the first terong belanda I have seen during my Indonesian experience--not that I have been actively searching, but now I'll keep my eyes out for this healthy and delicious fruit.




 

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