Bangkok Chronicles: Fruits, electrolytes and my favourite flower tea

It feels like yesterday when we were in college and joking about Indian mothers force-feeding their children to eat fruit. "Beta, yeh lo fruit khao, fruit". In the blink of an eye one realises that people do (scarily) become like their parents, or other elders in their lives.

One must accept what one cannot change. So here I am, still writing paragraph after paragraph on the joys of discovering known and unknown fruits. For variety, this time I have added some juices and teas to the mix.

Passion Fruit

The modern world is such that we are more likely to have slathered passion-fruit fragranced cream on ourselves (a la Body Shop) than actually eating a passion fruit. Although I had tasted one before, I must confess the first time I actually sliced a passion fruit open was just a few months ago. After a few tasting rounds, I still consider them to be a bit too sour for my taste buds, and the seeds are too 'chewy'. Since the fruit has tonnes of health benefits, I shall keep it high on the list. Whether it ignites passion remains to be seen.

Rose Apple

Neither rose, nor apple but delightfully crunchy and easy to eat. I tried it for the first time ever in 2023. I love them. The most common ones have a deep red hue but some of them can also be green, as I discovered just weeks ago.

Mon Khai or Moon Egg or Lamut Kha Men or Canistel or Tiesa or Egg fruit or Cupcake fruit

Has there ever been a fruit that is, at the same time, mysterious yet well-known across so many countries?  It took me over six months to finally nail it down. Incidentally, the list above isn't exhaustive but I got exhausted, so I limited myself to the above names. I first spotted these last summer in a big supermarket in central Bangkok. I enjoyed the unusual flavour and texture but had no clue what they were called. It must be seasonal, for I never saw them again till a few days ago. I rapidly grabbed a pack and dashed to the shop assistant to enquire about its local name. Mon Khai, she said.

One reason for all the aliases might be due to the fact that the taste of this fruit is extremely tricky to describe. To me it was creamy, custard-like and sweet. I definitely did not sense any similarity to an egg-yolk or a hard boiled egg, except in its colour. This weekend a local friend opined that it looks like a cross between an avocado and mango. And you know, that might just be the most apt description to date. 

Green Oranges (Some readers might find this section distressing)

"There are oranges which are not even orange in colour!" exclaimed a friend who has spent a considerable  part of his life in Southeast Asia. I could only stare in mild disdain. My response was along these lines:  "Of course there are oranges which are green, they are so ubiquitous across India that you could not walk half a kilometre without tripping over a few." Little did I know I was opening the Pandora's Box of 'citrus fruit classification' which was soon to lead to an unbelievably massive row. All for something that was lost in translation.

So this is the view of 1.4 billion Indians (minus the awfully finicky 10 persons): Anything that is a round, spherical citrus fruit of say, more than 5 inches diameter, which you can peel or juice is..... an orange. Of course in various Indian local languages we have specific terms for each variety. For example in Hindi there is  'santra', 'keenu', 'mausambi' etc which refer to the peeling or cutting varieties. Then there are the baby oranges or 'narangi' which can be squeezed on a dish or pickled. To some in the western world (here,  I fearfully imagine the expression on the face of Xenia's friend's dad), it is absolute sacrilege to not differentiate between a tangerine, mandarin and orange. Or a kumquat.

Well Mr Xenia's friend's dad and other friends (ahem, you know who you are), check out the label at this prominent Thai supermarket that says 'Honeyqueen Orange Pack'. Seriously, life's too short.  Its all orange to me.

Snake Fruit

In the Year of the Wood Snake, what better way to celebrate than bite into a Snake Fruit. The English  name comes from the scaly outer covering. The fruit inside has a firm, 'bite-able' texture. It reminds me a lot of the Indian 'singhada' or water chestnut.

Coconut Water - Nectar for thirsty souls

Possibly one of my top favourites in natural drinks. Most of last year, as I trudged along concrete pavements in Bangkok, side-stepping puddles and delivery bikes, I often felt my energy levels dipping precariously low. Never has the sight of a coconut vendor felt so soothing. It is amazing how nature has evolved over millions of years to create a fruit that is filled with essential rehydrating properties, and is readily available at the right places on earth. Of course, thanks to global inter-connectedness, now almost everyone can enjoy it.

Aah, just when I thought I had seen it all there was a surprise awaiting in the world of coconuts. I was delighted to find this naturally occurring pink coconut water. What a smashing experience. Where, when, how... well that is for another post.

Butterfly Pea Drink

Blue is for the sky. Not so much for food. This is what I have often heard. Clearly those naysayers had never come across this flower tea which remained on top of my tea list for several months. It still does to a large extent when I'm not craving some version of the Indian chai, or my standard English Breakfast tea, or the Milk Oolong whose creamy texture is imprinted forever on my brain. It is a close call between all of them. For now, let us improve our mood (and our skin) with sips of the butterfly pea drink. It is a lovely crystal-blue in colour when brewed lightly. Add a bit of lemon and watch a strange chemical reaction that turns it into a beautiful purple.

And that folks, is where I shall halt my prose on the delightful explorations of edible plants in Thailand. Time to take a stroll in the city now.

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