monstera deliciosa

Monstera deliciosa, a tropical mexican fruit that tastes like a cross between a pineapple and a banana. It ripens when the scales start to fall off, like in the picture. A bit high-maintenance, but absolutely worth it!

ugli fruit

Ugli fruit: Nice and sweet, but were it not for the thick skin it'd have terrible self-esteem issues.

persimmons

Squat tomato-shaped fuyu persimmon (non-astringent) on the top, hachiya persimmon (astringent) on the bottom.

tuna fruit

Tuna fruit - the fruit from cactus. Just be careful not to chew the seeds!

pitahaya

Favorite weird tropical fruit from Colombia: pitahaya! Tastes like a really sweet and smooth kiwi, without the acidity.

feijoa and passionfruit juice

Second most favorite Colombian fruits (tie): feijoa and passionfruit (maracuya), in juice form.

curuba

Our third favorite weird tropical fruit from Colombia: curuba. Texture is like a passionfruit, but it's much more sour and not really for eating plain, but rather in juice form.

uchuva

Our fourth favorite weird tropical fruit from Colombia: uchuvas. As big as cherry tomatoes, but firm and sticky on the outside like tomatillos. Fairly sour, but when they're ripe the tang is welcome.

cholao

We just got back from a trip to Colombia, so several Colombian food posts will follow. First up, cholao - a drink of sorts from the city of Cali. It's made with some combination of shaved ice, chopped tropical fruit (mango, banana, guanabana, etc.), jam, condensed milk, and milo flakes (made of chocolate and malt). I ordered mine without the condensed milk, but later found out that the milo flakes have a tiny bit of dairy. Even without them, it makes for a great fruity treat!

Dr. Weil's Fruit & Nut Bars

Five new flavors of Dr. Weil's Fruit & Nut Bars, by Nature's Path: Goji Moji, Chocolate Walnut, Pistachi-Oh!, Chia Razz, and Banana Manna. All the bars are very satisfying and tasty, like dense fig bars, full of all-natural ingredients. Renate and I liked the Pistachio (pistachio chunks and lots of spice) and Chia Razz (sweet raspberry flavor) the best, although the chocolate was also a big hit (rich and coconuty).

vegan brunch!

Funk'n Waffles restaurant, in Syracuse NY. This brunch included: waffles, french toast, sausage, tofu scramble, fruit salad, hash, and really good coffee.