
Home Made Oyakodon
The oyakodon is a classic Japanese bento dish.served in many Japanese restaurants including here in Malaysia. Check out this recipe and try making your own.
Ever thought you’d come across a fruit that could rival the flavours of mangosteen or durian? We certainly didn’t – until we heard of this curious contender from Queensland.
The Achacha fruit belongs to the same family as mangosteens, which is genus Garcinia. Other fruits in this family include the Yellow Mangosteen and the Lemon Drop Mangosteen. We were scratching our heads too (mangosteen got not purple also meh?), but all questions went out the window after one delectable bite.
Originally from Bolivia, Achachairu, which means ‘honey kiss’ (‘achacha’ is an Aussie-fied way of pronouncing it), has seen a kind of renaissance in Australia due to favourable growing conditions and popular demand. It looks very similar to a loquat, and is plentiful from December to March.
The taste has been described as a heavenly mix of creamy, fruity sweetness and a sour tang, with a hint of resin. As chronicled by Youtuber “Weird Fruit Explorer” Jared Rydelek, the Achacha fruit takes everything we love about the succulent flesh of mangosteens and makes it 10x better.
Apart from bearing fruit, the Achacha tree has little fragrant white flowers surrounding their fruits which attract bees for pollination. Farmers in the plantations harvest the honey produced from Achacha flowers, yielding a delicious fruity nectar laced with malt and caramel undertones.
For more ways to enjoy the achacha, here are two recipes that incorporate the fruit’s beautifully balanced flavours:
The Achacha is packed full of nutrients such as vitamin C, riboflavin, and potassium, while being relatively low in sugar compared to most fruits – that’s why it’s perfect when enjoyed with other naturally sweet fruits in a salad.
Courtesy of Wiffens.com, this colourful blend brings out depth of flavour from each of its components. Feel free to mix it up with your choice of fruity favourites!
Prep time: 20 mins Serves: 4.
Ingredients:
2 mangoes cut into chunks
1 pineapple cut into chunks
5 achacha, squeeze the pulp and juice into a small bowl
4 passionfruit
2 ripe bananas
2 tbsp mint, finely shredded
2 lime
1 tsp caster sugar
Method:
1. Squeeze lime juice into the small bowl with the achacha pulp and juice, add caster sugar and mix well, then add mint leaves.
2. Add mango, pineapple and banana (cut into chunks at the last minute) into a bowl or platter, mix the lime and achacha into the fruit then scoop the passionfruit over the top. Leave for 15 mins for the flavours to develop.
Another way to enjoy the Achacha is as a refreshing, vitalizing drink. Using nutrients embedded in the skin of the fruit, quench your thirst on a hot day with this simple fix from the fruit experts at Achacha.com.au.
The skin infusion itself is a great accompaniment to spicy food, and can be used as a base for Achacha granita and a variety of cocktails – enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 servings of Achacha skin infusion (see recipe below*)
Mint or ginger
Method:
1. Use as much skin infusion as desired. To balance the sweet/astringent taste, add a your choice of of sugar syrup, stevia, honey, or coconut sugar.
2. Add mint, fresh sliced or grated ginger, and even lemon slices or mineral water to enhance / balance out flavours..
1. Save Achacha skins after eating the white pulp. Fill a jug with 1 litre of water (make more but using sameproportions – 6-8 skins per litre).
2. Crunch skins into the water and leave to infuse at least overnight, preferably longer.
3. Once the water is quite orange, strain off the skins and discard or compost.
The oyakodon is a classic Japanese bento dish.served in many Japanese restaurants including here in Malaysia. Check out this recipe and try making your own.
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