Coosemans Worldwide - Produce Quiz

I am a member of the nut family. I am native to Southeast Asia and the Melanesian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. I am the year-roud king of tropical and subtropical regions. I have a thick, hard skin whose color ranges from green to brown depending on my level of maturity. At any stage my tough brown fibers tousled around my shell give me a constant 5:00 shadow. In Sanskrit I am referred to as kapla vriksha I which means, “tree which gives all that is necessary for living”. They were correct, as even today I am totally useful. Carpenters use the wood of my palm while my strong fibrous leaves are used to make rope, baskets and fabric. Crack me open to reveal my crisp white meat and belly full of liquid. My meat is rich popular tasting accompaniment to shell fish dishes, cookies, pies, cakes, custards, and candy. My liquid, when not drunk directly from my shell is used in sauces, curries, puddings and other desserts. I am also famous for my “milk” which is created by pouring boiling water over my grated meat, leaving it to cool and then straining. As you read this I probably surround you if not actually on you directly through the use of your soap or fragrance. I contain a considerable amount of saturated fat, a moderate amount of fiber, and scarce amounts of protein, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron and copper. Finally though mostly thought of as a nut , I am actually a drupe, meaning a fruit with a hard stone. Well, sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes, you drupe!

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Produce Quiz courtesy of:
Richard Leibowitz
Culinary Specialty Produce
"We Follow Orders"

The answer to last week's quiz: JACKFRUIT
Last week's question?

Related to the breadfruit and the fig, I am the largest tree fruit in the world. I am native to India and Malaysia. Portuguese explorers formed my name. I can weigh as much as eighty or ninety pounds, but I am usually sold as four or five pound fruits. My greenish-yellow skin is completely covered with pointed warts and I turn yellowish-brown when ripe. With an intense fragrance, my ripe yellow or pink flesh is juicy with flavors of melon, mango, and papaya. My large seeds, in fleshy sacs called “bulbs”, are often roasted and the chestnut flavor they impart is enjoyed by many a native. My seeds can also be boiled and ground into flour. My seeds are rich in calcium and my flesh contains carotene. My flesh can be made into preserves, dried, used in fruit salads, candies, curries, or meat dishes. When unripe yet mature, I can be cooked as a vegetable, but watch out for the white, milky latex-like liquid I ooze in this stage, as it will make your hands will stick together.