I struggled a bit to come up with something for Q. I like to have a personal connection to the topic and use my own pictures if possible. Q just wasn't working for me this way. After letting go of those criteria, I decided that I would educate myself on some of the new-to-me fruits that begin with Q. So here it goes.
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| Quaraibea cordoto |
Quaraibea Cordoto or Chupa Chupa - This is a soft, yellow fruit that grows mostly in the Amazon Rain Forest. The taste has been described as a cross between a pumpkin and mango, and nutritionally it is high in carotene. Outside of South American, I couldn't find anywhere to buy quaraibea codoto fruit. However, I did see several sources to buy seeds to grow the tree. The tree is very fast growing and can reach 140 high. However, if will only grow that high if it is in its native tropical rainforest. William Whitman brought it to Florida in 1964 and it has been successfully grown there, although it needs protection from the cold.
Quenepa or Spanish lime - This lime-looking fruit is about the size of an olive, has a hard shell, and a jelly inside. Despite it's name, this is not a citrus fruit. It has a sweet, tart taste and is a good source of Vitamin C. Quenepa is native to the tropics of Central and South America. In the US, it is grown in Florida, California, and Hawaii. I have never seen quenepa in the grocery store, but I did find it for sale on Amazon when it is in season.
Quandong or Desert Peach - Quandong grows in the deserts of Australia. It has been described to taste like a tart peach and has more Vitamin C than an orange. Indigenous people have used them for medicine and fuel (from seeds) as well as food. Some quandong are grown commercially, but much of the fruit is harvested in the wild. I could not find it mentioned that they are grown outside of Australia.
Those were very brief descriptions that I think I got mostly right. I would love to hear if anyone has had experience with any of these fruit. All of them grow in warmer or drier climates than I have ever lived, which may be why I was unfamiliar with them.
