Re: [gardeners] Birds
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Tue, 21 Apr 1998 08:12:55
At 01:36 AM 4/21/98 -0400, you wrote:
>George, I've never seen or tasted a fresh loquat.
>What's it like...?
>
>Do you grow lichees down there?
>
>
>Penny, NY
>
Has a fresh, rather piquant taste. It's in the apple family from what I
read about them but tastes closer to a pear. They are a small fruit, the
ones I ate were about the size of the first joint of my thumb. They may get
bigger in full sun though, as this tree was definitely part of the
understory, shaded on all sides. I don't even know what a lichee is, is
that some sort of insect? Kidding aside, I've heard of lichees but never
saw one alive. Saw some in a can once in an oriental market.
Miz Anne and I learned to eat a lot of strange fruits while we were world
travelers in the oll bidness. Rambutan was about the strangest, got those
in Thailand, looked like a giant, fuzzy strawberry but had a delightful
taste. You must realize of course that SE Texas, where I was raised just
has pears and plums and the occasional satsuma or kumquat. I tasted my
first papaya when I was past forty years of age and am now trying to grow
my own.
George