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Fruits and Vegetables
Durian: The King of Fruits Print E-mail

durian.jpgWhat is there to say about the incomparable taste of Durian? Known as the King of Fruits, you may be lucky enough to see one in your local Asian food store. If you do, buy it immediately! Yes it will be expensive, yes it will smell awful, but don't pass up a chance to try one of the world's greatest pleasures.

 
Jackfruit Print E-mail

jackfruit.jpgThe jackfruit is the single largest fruit in the world that comes off a tree. They can weigh up to 80 pounds and be three feet in length. The outside of the fruit is greenish yellow, and it has a thick leathery spiky skin. The sap inside is as sticky as glue, and it takes some work to get the fruit out.. The fruit itself looks like large corn kernels and is fibrous and sweet.

In Thailand most families have a jackfruit tree in their backyard, the reason is that the name of the fruit in Thai is "ka-noon". "Noon" means "support" in Thai. So by having this tree behind you, you have support behind your family.

Practically what this means is that there are millions of these trees producing these incredibly large fruits and they are commonly found everywhere in the kingdom. The fruit inside is delicious, and I think best served a bit chilled.

 
Chili (Thai) Print E-mail

thaichili.jpgThai Chilies (also known as birds-eye chili, or prik kee new in Thai) are the staple flavoring of most Thai cuisine. These small but very hot peppers are not native to Thailand, but were introduced by the Portuguese, and man the Thais just ran with them. They flavor just about every food, breakfast, lunch, and dinner with these spicy peppers.

 
Coconut (Fresh) Print E-mail

freshcoconut.jpgFresh Coconut (also called green or young) looks different than the normal coconuts that you might buy at the supermarket. They are usually sold with the husk still around the hard shell. In fresh coconuts the meat hasn't had the time to get hardened yet, and has a soft smooth texture and rich flavor that make them especially tasty. Fresh coconut is not suitable for cooking or shredding, and is only for eating fresh.

 
Basil (Holy) Print E-mail

holybasil.jpgHoly Basil gets its name from its long time use as a medicine and in religious ceremonies in India. The leaves themselves are small, green and hairy, with a smattering of purple. The stems are purple as well, and it has a slightly bitter and extremely pungent taste and odor, it's one of the strongest tasting basils.

 
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