Larry Black called and said his mountain apple tree was loaded with fruit and he was enjoying them with his meals. He said it is refreshing, like a palate cleanser.
Larry Black called and said his mountain apple tree was loaded with fruit and he was enjoying them with his meals. He said it is refreshing, like a palate cleanser.
Mountain apple is a fruit with very little calories — only 45 calories per fruit. It has only 1 gram of dietary fiber, and 1 gram of protein, with not much other nutritional value. It does contain 60 percent water, so I would imagine it would have some diuretic effects.
Possibly from Malay, thus the name malay apple, it is found throughout the Polynesian islands and Southeast Asia. The Polynesians brought 24 plants to Hawaii and one of them was the mountain apple. The subhumid tropical weather of Hawaii was the perfect climate for growing of these trees and they thrived
The mountain apple is called “ohi‘a ‘ai” in Hawaii; “faliap” in Yap; “fekika kai” in Tonga; “kavika” in Fiji; “kidel” in Palau; “makupa” in Guam; and the French call it “jambosier rouge.”
When we were in Thailand, they call our mountain apple “rose apple.” However, I grew up with rose apple. The trees were huge and the fruit was small and light pink in color. We used to call it “gara-gara-momo” because of the sound it made when you shook it, the “gara-gara” sound. Actually, the mountain apple is “syzygium malaccense” and the rose apple is “syzygium jambos,” so they are distinctly different fruits.
You can give away only so much and eat so much mountain apple. One of the biggest problem is all the fruit comes out at one time and if you don’t pick them right away, the fruits fall to the ground, rot and attract fruit flies. Many families get tired of racking leaves and picking up fallen fruit and have cut their trees down.
Here is a way to enjoy your excess of mountain apple, a pie.
Mountain Apple Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie
Two pie crusts
Combine in a large bowl:
6 cups mountain apple, peeled, sliced
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons tapioca flour (in the Asian section at your supermarket)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Brush bottom crust with egg whites to prevent soggy crust.
Place ingredients into crust, dot with:
4 tablespoons or 1/2 stick butter, cut up
Cover with the top crust, brush with egg white, then sprinkle with sugar.
Bake in 425 degree oven for 45 minutes.
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I probably have printed this recipe before as it is my favorite pie crust recipe.
Sour Cream PieCrust
Makes two crusts
Place in food processor:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup pastry flour (I buy the whole wheat pastry flour at the health foods store in the plastic bins)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
Mix till combined, then add:
1 stick unsalted butter, cold and cut up into pieces
6 tablespoons vegetable shortening (Crisco)
Mix until mixture is like coarse cornmeal.
Add:
4 tablespoons sour cream
Mix until dough comes together. Divide the dough equally in half (I measure them to make sure they are the same size) and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator at least one hour.
Roll out to size one inch larger than pie pan. Use other half for the top crust.
Small Bites
In ancient Hawaii, the bark of the mountain apple and salt were pounded together and then poured on an open wound. You would need a very large stick in your mouth to be able to take the pain of the salt into your cut!
The root is thought to be a diuretic and in Brazil, parts of the plant are used to treat constipation, diabetes, coughs and headache.
Mountain Apple Brand is a registered name for the local products grown, manufactured or processed and sold at KTA Super Stores. Mountain Apple was chosen because it was fundamental to the “sustenance of the Polynesian culture newly transplanted to Hawaii,” according to the store’s website.
Foodie Bites
The 4th annual Mango Festival is being held on July 28-29 at the Keauhou Beach Resort. Get out your best mango recipe for the amateur recipe contest. Entry forms can be obtained at www.mangofest.org.
Executive Chef Hubert des Marais of The Fairmont Orchid will be doing a culinary demonstration at 2p.m. on Saturday, July 28. Chef Hubert came from Africa with 35 years of experience spanning four continents.
If you like to tango, the Mango Tango Dance and Desserts FUNdraiser will be held on July 21 at the New Thought Center in Pualani Terrace on Highway 11. Tickets are $10 and can be ordered by calling 887-1292 or 756-4700. The event includes tango dancing, dessert bar, hand-crafted ales from Kona Brewing Co., silent auction and door prizes from 6-9 p.m.
Mark your calendars for Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range on Sept. 21 at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort. More details to follow in future columns.
Please feel free to e-mail me at wilson.audrey@hawaiiantel.net if you have a question. Bon appetit until next week.