Have you ever been in a supermarket & longed to fill your basket with the exotic fruits & vegetables on display, but been put off by the fact that you have no idea what they are or what to do with them? This colorful reference guide will introduce you to the many different types now available in supermarkets & ethnic stores. The Directory consists of 70 exotic fruits & vegetables from around the world, all shown in beautiful color photos. Each entry has information on the origin, appearance, flavor & nutritional content, cooking, storing & serving suggestions. There are also more than 50 recipes from around the world, from soups & starters to desserts & ices. Oona van den Berg spent two years traveling through Asia in search of markets & village life.

"...introduces a vibrantly colored world of new foods...mangosteen, durian, and dozens more...Vivid photographs and helpful text elucidate such items as palm fruit, babacos, quince, and dragon fruit. An appendix of recipes offers ways to use these....A useful reference guide."--Booklist. "...a beautifully photographed book...Explanations for each fruit and vegetable give its origins..."--The New York Times. "...a useful primer on more than 70 different items...has 50 recipes...such as pomelo and king prawn salad, and caramelized pineapple with burnt Cointreau syrup."--Chicago Tribune.

Describes a variety of unusual fruits and vegetables from around the world, explains how to select and store each food, and provides a variety of recipes.

A Produce Reference Guide to Fruits and Vegetables from Around the World: Nature?s Harvest answers the many questions consumers have about various fruits and vegetables. Providing basic, clear, and understandable information for each produce item, this reference guide gives you a synopsis of the fruit or vegetable, a short history of the item, the common and uncommon name, what it looks and tastes like, how it is used, and the time of year it is available. Information on nutrition, serving sizes, yields, and optimal storage conditions is also provided. From potatoes to shepherd?s purse and from grapes to the Clementine tangor, A Produce Reference Guide to Fruits and Vegetables from Around the World covers both the familiar and the exotic. Other than the obvious fruits and vegetables (such as 12 varieties of cherries and 10 different kinds of squash) you?ll also read about herbs, mushrooms, sprouts, and nuts. A Produce Reference Guide to Fruits and Vegetables from Around the World is packed with useful information. From practical advice to interesting trivia, some of the things you?ll learn include: You should not eat any green parts of potatoes--it will make you sick. How to classify a peach--clingstone vs. freestone and white vs. yellow. The Texas 1015 Supersweet onion is named after its recommended planting date, October 15. Kiwis (originally from China, not Australia) contain an enzyme that tenderizes meat. Women in China once made a dye from the skin of eggplants to stain their teeth black. The famous mutiny by Captain Bligh?s crew was caused by breadfruit. Gourds may have spread between continents by floating in the ocean, as they can float in sea water for 220 days without losing seed viability. The two nuts mentioned in the Bible--almonds and pistachios. As new methods in farming, storing, and shipping are allowing exotic fruits and vegetables unheard of a few years ago to become available, consumers are coming up with more and more questions that many professionals are unable to answer. A Produce Reference Guide to Fruits and Vegetables from Around the World is the tool you can use to find answers. The guide is especially useful for specialty produce outlets and wholesalers, importers/exporters of fruits and vegetables, produce brokers and buyers, supermarket and independent food store produce departments, military commissaries, and the general public.

"It's not enough to know your jicama from your heirloom tomatoes these days. When it comes to fruits and vegetables, there's a whole new terrain and this book is your GPS. From dragon fruit to yuzu, this smart, savvy, handsomely illustrated guide tells you how to recognize it, buy it, prepare it, and cook it, with edgy recipes from all over the world." —Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue! Bible and How to Grill Chances are, you're tempted to venture beyond the standard fruits and vegetables when enticed by the array of fresh produce at your grocer's. But then you're stymied. Exactly what is that? Is it supposed to be eaten cooked or raw? Should it be firm or soft? Do you peel it? How do you get to the good stuff? This guide gives you the answers. It tells you how to choose and use all kinds of produce and includes: More than 100 fruits and vegetables 200 gorgeous color photos and 100 delicious recipes The seasonal availability of each fruit and vegetable Information on how to select, store, eat, and cook each item

At last, a field guide to identifying and selecting more than 200 fruits and vegetables from around the world! The perfect companion for every shopper, Field Guide to Produce offers tips for selecting, storing, and preparing everything from apples to zucchini. When an unfamiliar edible appears on your grocer’s shelf, simply flip through the full-color insert until you’ve found its photograph. Turn to the corresponding page to discover its country of origin, common uses, and season of harvest. This practical guide includes more than 200 full-color photographs of the world’s most popular fruits and vegetables, cross-referenced to in-depth descriptions and selection tips. Step-by-step preparation directions tell you whether the item must be peeled, washed, trimmed, or blanched. Grocery shopping—and dinner—will never be the same again!