Exotic Fruit at Rouse’s Supermarkets

Entertain your kids this summer at your local grocery store or Farmer’s Market.  New Orleans is the proud home of the locally owned Rouse’s Supermarket. It has been a favorite of New Orleanians “makin’ grocercies” since 1960 and now provides a large assortment of exotic fruits. Every month they will feature a different fruit and this June make sure you check out the rhubarb.

My family had the opportunity to taste a cherimoya, passion fruit, and rhubarb. My 8 year old son and his friend had a blast tasting them and then we went online and learned more about each fruit. Now, when we go grocery shopping my son is on the hunt for strange and unusual foods to buy and find recipes for. Hey, if it will get him to try new things I am all for it! So take your kids your local Rouse’s if your here in Louisiana and if not, check out your local stores and see what’s on their shelves.  Here is what we learned:

Cherimoya

It’s a native fruit to South America and is making a surge in the U.S. markets. It’s also known as a “custard apple.” Slice into it’s scaly, green exterior and note the soft, custardy white fruit with black seeds. Remove the black seeds before eating and enjoy the creamy texture and sweetness of the cherimoya. It truly has an unique texture that is hard to compare to another fruit. The taste is often compared to a fragrant combination of pineapple, banana, and vanilla. Enjoy cherimoya’s by themselves, in a smoothie, or in a dessert recipe. Check out www.friedas.com for a Cherimoya Custard Pie Recipe and others.

Passion Fruit

If you are not familiar with passion fruit, you will probably recognize the taste because it is a key flavor in Hawaiian Punch and many tropical fruit drinks. It’s yellow-orange pulp has tiny, edible black seeds and has a lemony, tart taste. Kids will really be surprised by the look of the inside of this fruit! We used the pulp to make pineapple-passion fruit smoothies and they were delicious!

Rhubarb

Even though rhubarb is technically a veggie, it is most often treated as a fruit and sugared up to be used in pies and jams. It is rapidly becoming a trendy food used in a variety of recipes including chutneys, curries, and even paired with pork or beef. Check of this Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie recipe at The Joy of Baking (it even includes a video).

Click here to find a Rouse’s Supermarket where you live!