Oriental fruits identified

Mangosteen, a scented translucent fruit not unlike a lychee in the color and flavor of its flesh. Separate seeded segments are contained inside a small purple-husked globe that can stain your clothes permanently if you don't take care when opening it.
Rambutan, a Malaysian fruit with a hairy sea-anemone-like husk. Contains a plum-sized sweet white-fleshed fruit like the lychee to which it is related;
Jackfruit can weight up to 100 lbs. Light green and covered with fine prickly hairs, it contains waxy-colored segments of a bright banana-colored fruit with a smell just this side of putrid and a vanilla-ry flavor;
Pomelo is like a grapefruit in flavor though larger in size inside a thicker shell, but with far more juicy segments easier to separate from their membrane;
Durian, a highly-prized, football-sized fruit in a light green sharp-pointed rind, that smells so utterly revolting it's banned on South East Asian airlines. It is said by devotees to taste like a peach eaten in a sewer. It's probably Asia's more popular fruit.

Durian, pomelos, and some other Asian fruits are generally available in season from larger Asian supermarkets, like the Eden Center Supermarket and H Mart.

Before buying durian, which generally seems to be flown in frozen, you might like to test its flavor with a durian popsicle. Eating the durian is a challenging experience and an acquired taste. They are not permitted on airlines in South East Asia because of their offensive smell.

Durian popsicles, among other exotic flavors are available from Thai Market, 902 Thayer Ave, Silver Spring, 301 495 2779, which also sells frozen durian sections. Sukhothai, 1904 Mt Vernon Ave, Alexandria, 703 683 4016, is another stockist, with good supply of South East Asian ingredients.

If you really crave a fruit or vegetable you can't find locally, call Nishimoto Trading Co Ltd., 1 888 682 4438 or log onto www.atfresh.com. They will probably be able to ship it to you, from Santa Fe Springs, CA.

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