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Magnolias

©2006 Clove Garden

• Ackee
• Guarana
• Horse-Chestnut
• Longan -
• Lychees
• Mamoncillo
• Maples
• Pitomba
• Rambutan

Maple [Acer]
This temperate climate hardwood tree is noted for hardwood lumber used to make bowling pins and such, and it's leaves provide something for Canadians to put on their flag. One maple variety is, however, of culinary interest, providing a sap that can be boiled down to make a sweetner called "maple syrup" for use on breakfast pancakes. This sap is produced mainly in Vermont and Canada, both of which claim their's is better than the other. The production season generally lasts for 6 weeks in the Spring.

Maple Syrup grades are established by the USDA. Canada adheres to similar grading but uses different names. These are not quality grades (there are no cheap Chinese sugar maples so we presume all the trees are highest quality). These are usage grades, and the makers have little control as to what grades they'll get in any particular year, that's pretty much up to the trees.

• Grade A Light Amber is the lightest grade and has the mildest maple flavor. It's usually made early in the season when the weather is colder. This grade is preferred for making maple cream and maple candy.
• Grade A Medium Amber is somewhat darker, and the maple flavor is a little more intense. This is the most popular table syrup grade. It usually is made about mid-season when the weather warms a bit.
• Grade A Dark Amber is the darkest grade commonly used as table syrup and is normally made late in the season.
• Grade B is often called Cooking Syrup and is made late in the season. It is very dark with a strong maple flavor, but some prefer it as table syrup for just that reason. Most use it for baking, and flavoring foods.

Lychee [Litchi chinensis]
These fruits are about 1-1/2" in diameter with a thin leathery shell, dark yellow and reddish in color (but it turns brown if refrigerated). Very loosly contained within the shell is a translucent white flesh similar in texture to the inside of a grape and one bullet shaped seed (which is mildly toxic so don't eat it). They are commonly sold fresh in Asia, California and other countries with Asian enclaves. Canned Lychees are widely available.

Longan [longy (ch), long-nan (ch), Nephelium longanum]
An sphyrical fruit has a thin leathery brown shell which loosely contains a soft juicy flesh translucent flesh with one spherical black seed. The flesh is used in the Orient in soups, sweets and sweet-and-sour recipes but the seed is not eaten.

Akee [Ackee, Achee, Blighia sapida]
This pear shaped fruit is mostly toxic including the flesh. Only the arils (fleshy coatings around the seeds) are non-toxic and only when the fruit is ripe and has opened naturally, but if overripe it will again be toxic. "Salt Cod and Akee" is considered the Jamaican national dish and Akee is used in other Caribbean cuisines. Improperly prepared Akee is the cause of Jamaican vomiting sickness.

Mamoncillo [Quenepa, Genip, Melicoccus bijugatus]
This egg shaped fruit is indiginous to large parts of tropical South and Central America and the Caribbean. It has a hard but thin green outer skin surrounding a tart yellow pulp. The single large seed can be roasted and eaten.

Rambutan [Nephelium lappaceum]
This red, pink or yellow fruit, about the size of a small chicken egg, is significant in Southeast Asia but production is ramping up in other tropical areas including Hawaii. The photo specimens have been previously frozen so have lost the bright red color of fresh fruit.

Rambutan's single seed is surrounded by a firm but juicy sweet pulp, much like a Lychee and of similar flavor and texture. These are sold fresh in areas where they grow but must be picked ripe and are easily bruised so they don't travel well. They are also shipped frozen, made into preserves and canned for shipment to non-tropical regions. A 1.2 ounce 1-3/4 inch Rambutan will yield about 0.5 ounce of edible flesh (40%). The seeds are bitter and slightly toxic so should be discarded.