A new exotic fruit every week

Because Berkeley Bowl is a mecca for produce and I frequent it much too often, so I have made it a goal for myself to get to know the produce block a bit better.  Since I'm unemployed, the only money I should be spending should be on food right?  Right.  So, I took my friend Molly (soon to be guest blogger!) on her first day in California who was visiting from snowy Massachusetts, to the Berkeley Bowl to fully experience the range of produce in a local California grocery store.  Tourists are all about trying new things.

The produce section in the Berkeley Bowl, which I am realizing I recognize less than half the produce there, regardless of it being labeled "exotic," needs to be tackled.  A new fruit every week is what we decided would be the best approach.  After telling the nearby stock-boy of our plan, he advised us on the Cherimoya. The what?  He repeated it a few times until we pronounced it correctly and told us it was sweet,  assured us we would like it, and to eat it in one to two days.  Well, a whopping $4.24 later we cracked it open at a picnic awaiting it's splendor.

It tasted a bit like how the  China Town in Oakland smells.  A slimy stringy white meat-ty texture. Nuff said. No one finished their whole portion except for me, 'cuz I felt bad for the thing. We concluded it would probably be good in a smoothy, which it was because you couldn't really taste it.  Funny enough, the next day there was an article in the local paper devoted to our beloved fruit saying just that, not quite in season right now so best for smoothies. It also warned readers not to eat the skin or seeds because they could kill you. Berkeley Bowl, you need a warning by this thing!

What will my overpriced exotic fruit purchase be next week?  A Buddha's hand? A kumquat?  Stay tuned.