Considering that my blog purportedly appears most often in searches for ”mangasteen” (a fruit I mentioned in passing on a post on Thailand) I thought I would describe another fruit which we “discovered” recently – this time in Spain – which initially reminded me of managsteens (or more correctly known as mangosteens, which I guess explains the amount of hits I get on this obscure topic).
Appropriately, they are ”same same but different” (to use a popular Thai tourist phrase):
Both are small and round…
and when you cut into the flesh around the circumference, twist and pull apart, you reveal a bulbous interior.
The difference is that, while you eat the white part of the mangasteen (called the endocarp or aril) and discard the purple rind (or exocarp)…
… with the nispero, you remove the large dark seeds or pips (which are said to be slightly poisonous), pull off the thick skin, cut off the little ends, and eat the juicy, acidic orange-coloured flesh.
Actually, in Australia the nispero is known as a loquat, and originates from China, but I don’t believe I had ever tasted it before buying nisperos in Spain.
Sometimes you have to go half-way around the world to notice something that exists on your very own doorstep.
Now my mouth is watering in memory. I wonder if loquats are in season?
This is interesting. Now I know how a loquat looks like. =) In Malaysia, we call it the purple fruit as mangosteen. First time I read it is called a Mangasteen. Nice write up.
Thanks for that. Yes, I spelt mangosteen the Asian way when I wrote the blog. And who knew a nispero was a loquat! Language is a funny thing isn’t it?
LOL!!! yup… language is really funny thing but yet it can be complicated too. =)
My Aunt had a loquat tree in her garden…I remember eating so many I would get a stomach ache…
They are delicious!