There are numerous species of this bean but the Inga Edulis is the most common attributing to this name.

The fruit is a long pod, sometimes a metre long, and contains a bright white pulp surrounding its seeds. This pulp is sweet, juicy, and has a soft cotton wool texture. There is a shiny black seed within each pulp (not edible).

The flavour of the icecream bean is sweet and delicate and is compared to vanilla icecream, hence the name. It has a very cloying finish, very soft and delicate.

A very popular fruit enjoyed by many in parts of Central and Sth America. The children really think of this as a lolly.

Grows on a large tree, which is quite hardy and has large spreading branches. Loves the full sun. The tree grows naturally near river banks, so enjoys year round irrigation.

Uses: Always eaten fresh. Trees are sometimes planted to provide shade to coffee and cacao plantations. Farmers love it for its nitrogen fixing ability.

A delectable snack that comes in its own wrapper.

Terri Scarborough
Tropical Fruit Safari Presenter

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The Breadfruit has a fascinating history. This fruit is famous for its role in the Mutiny of the Bounty when Captain William Bligh had been commissioned to find and transport the fruit and plants from Tahiti to the West Indies to feed the sugar cane native workers. It was first introduced to North Queensland by the Samoan Missionaries. Throughout the Pacific Islands, it is a staple part of the everyday diet.

The tree grows up to 20 metres high producing nearly 200 fruits to the tree. The fruit itself is round, green in colour and has a thick wart-like skin with white starchy flesh beneath. The beauty of this fruit is its versatility in being both a fruit and a vegetable, and is commonly used as both. Breadfruit has a very high carbohydrate count of about 20%.

When unripe, the flesh is used the same way as a potato and is traditionally baked whole in the oven or native style in an underground rock oven. Its taste and texture when cooked like this is likened to a cross between potato and moist bread. When roasted it can be sliced liked bread and pan fried. It is also great fried as chips, roasted whole, or boiled. The unripe flesh makes an amazing vegetable curry that has a close similarity in texture to chicken. Remove the core and cube the flesh and cook with curry ingredients as you would meat or chicken.

The ripened fruit is a real treat with a soft silky custard-like texture. The taste has been likened to a sweet custard, with a lovely delicate cloying finish. There is no great attack on the palette with this fruit, just a light and undemanding but pleasant flavour. The core in the centre of the fruit can be cut out and the fruit stuffed with butter and sugar and then baked.

The flesh also makes a delicious baked pudding.

Coconut Breadfuit Pudding

Delicious!

At our Mission Beach Tropical Fruit Safari presentation every Monday and Tuesday at 1.00pm sharp at the Mission Beach Visitor Information Centre, you can learn about and taste fruits just like this beauty.

Terri Scarborough
Tropical Fruit Safari Presenter

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Thank you to Healthy Hut Market & Cafe for the use of the image.

This delectable little treat is well known, particularly to northern Australians. It has been around a long time, having been introduced to Australia over one hundred years ago.

The fruit is oval with five prominent ribs and usually weighs between 100 and 300 grams. It has a thin waxy edible skin, and is translucent yellow/orange to a yellow/ green in colour, with a sometimes tart but crisp flesh. Five corners (also known as Star Fruit in Asia) range in flavour from enjoyably tart to slightly sweet with complex undertones of plums, pineapples and lemons. It could be described as thin and watery with a rather feeble attack, however there a quite a few different varieties of this fruit. The finish tends to be rather appley and sometimes a little dry.

The texture on the first bite is crisp but softer on the palette than an apple. This fruit, like many tropicals, is quite versatile in its uses. When sliced crossways, it produces an amazing star shape which makes a great decorative addition to any dish. It’s often used in salads, on a cheese platter, or on a skewer on the BBQ with prawns or chicken or fish. It juices well and makes a wonderfully refreshing tropical drink or iced tea. It is also good to add to chutneys and pickles and curries (green fruits are used for their sourness). Included in puddings and tarts, the Carambola can be used the same as any other fruit, often taking the place of berries and apples or a combination of these. Stewing with apples, sugar and cloves makes a great dessert. Be aware that the fruit is very watery so limit the liquid added.

At our Mission Beach Tropical Fruit Safari presentation every Monday and Tuesday at 1.00pm sharp at the Mission Beach Visitor Information Centre, you can learn about and taste fruits just like this beauty.

Terri Scarborough
Tropical Fruit Safari Presenter

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This round fruit is 12 to 15 cm across, orange-brown in colour when ripe, and is regularly divided or ’tiled’ by small bumps on the skin. The core is thick and the small fruits are protected by a inedible ribbon like cocoon of flesh. The ripe fruit should break open easily by gentle pulling. There is a strong detectable sweet fruity aroma.

Inside are multiple small yellow to deep orange pods of fleshy fruit surrounding a dark seed (inedible). The taste is superb. A full ripe opulent flavour with a long extraordinary cloying finish. The taste is sweet and tangy, and on the palette is creamy and silk-like. This is a taste not to be forgotten, and is best eaten just as it comes.

The Keledang tree produces a beautiful timber and in some parts is used in the making of exquisite furniture and fittings.

This amazing fruit is grown quite successfully in this region and is currently an inclusion in our Tropical Fruit Safari presentation every Monday and Tuesday at 1.00pm sharp at the Mission Beach Visitor Information Centre. A true ultra tropical fruit.

Terri Scarborough
Tropical Fruit Safari Presenter

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Many people will think that this little cherry is a native of Australia, after all, it has been around a long time. However it is named for its origins – Brazil and the tropical Americas. In Brazil it is known as Pitanga, a small shiny red fruit grown on a large shrub or small shiny leafed tree. It is also known as the Surinam Cherry. Its fragrant white flowers mature into lobed fruits about 2cm in diameter.

The Brazilian Cherry’s taste is quite unique, ranging from sweet to very sour, depending on the level of ripeness. Best eaten when deep red and very ripe. The initial impact is strong, with a sharp acidic attack on the palette. There is a mix of sweet and tart, with sometimes a slight hint of turpentine, although I have often thought of them as having a rather perfumed taste. Either way, the after-taste is long and acidic.

The fruit makes a wonderful jam or jelly but my savoury tastes often lead me to experimenting with the unusual. My Chilli Cherry Sauce is a great addition to fish or chicken or even pork. So when next you discover a good supply of this unusual fruit, give this a try.

1 cup of Brazilian Cherries, chopped and seeded
1 cup of ripe tomato, skinned and chopped (canned is ok too)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped or pressed
1 Chopped and seeded red chilli (or use chilli flakes to taste)
1 Tabs. sugar
1 Tabs. Red Wine Vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
Butter/Olive Oil

1. Gently fry in pan, using a small mix of butter and olive oil, the onion, garlic and chilli. Cook slowly till onion is soft and clear.
2. Add chopped cherries and the tomato and mix through.
3. Add sugar, vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Continue cooking over low heat until mixture reduces and thickens slightly.

The sauce can be processed to make smooth, but I prefer to use it as is. Can be served warm or cold.

The Mission Beach Tropical Fruit Safari is at the Mission Beach Visitor Information Centre every Monday and Tuesday at 1.00pm. Arrive by 12.45 to get your entry ticket.

Terri Scarborough
Tropical Fruit Safari Presenter

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Revered and celebrated by South East Asians for hundreds of years, the Mangosteen is a tropical fruit, which once tasted, will certainly not be forgotten. This unusual but attractive looking fruit contains a dark purple rind and boasts a sweet white pulp in segments similar to an orange, and is roughly about the size of a tangerine. Before ripening, the Mangosteen shell is fibrous and firm, but becomes soft and easy to pry open when the fruit ripens. Its taste is beyond compare, sweet, delicate, and juicy. The flavour has a hint of citrus tang with a floral peachy undertone. The impact on the palette is immediately obvious, undemanding but pleasant. Just tastes delicious!

The texture is light and creamy and silk like and seemingly, just melts in the mouth. Its after taste is elegant, graceful and lush. You’ll never want it to fade.

The Mangosteen, like many ultra tropical fruits offers numerous health benefits in the form of antioxidants – both the fruit itself and the skin are incredibly potent disease-fighters. When next making a fresh fruit or vegetable juice, pop in some Mangosteen segments and just a little of its skin (this is the part that really packs a punch but too much will make it sour and astringent). But be aware, the skin contains a purple pigment which can be used a dye, so will stain if splashed on clothing.

Forbidden fruit? Not the Mangosteen. The Mission Beach Tropical Fruit Safari is at the Mission Beach Visitor Information Centre every Monday and Tuesday at 1.00pm. Arrive by 12.45 to get your entry ticket.

Terri Scarborough
Tropical Fruit Safari Presenter

Recognising a need for Not for Profit Groups in the Cassowary Coast region to strengthen community capacity and resilience, Mission Beach Business and Tourism sort State Government funding to empower Community groups.  This recognition became reality when the project called ‘Strengthening Community Capacity’ was proudly funded by the Queensland Government’s Building Rural Communities Fund.

Engaging Conus Business Consultancy to provide strategic planning workshops and mentoring for Community Groups, provision was made for three highly interactive half day strategic planning workshops in Tully, Innisfail and Mission Beach.  The project incorporated explanation of strategic planning concepts and tools relevant for community groups.  The next stage provided face to face mentoring for individual community groups over a period of six months.

The objectives included empowering community groups by supplying them with effective strategic planning knowledge that can be actively applied to individual situations and to capitalise on information learnt in the workshops by supporting it with effective mentoring.

Strong positive customer feedback after all the workshops was received, supporting highly successful outcomes for the groups achieving the projects aim which was to build community resilience.  In their feedback Tropical Froggery (Innisfail) thanked Conus for time spent mentoring/strategic planning and said that information gleaned had been invaluable giving the group new insight and encouragement to continue.  They also thanked the State Government and Mission Beach Business and Tourism for their roles in providing these informative workshops.

We are collectively excited to see groups marching forward with determination, renewed energy and focus.

There are a variety of Sapotes available, the Black Sapote or Chocolate Pudding Fruit, the apple-like White Sapote, the deep orange Mamey Sapote and the Yellow Sapote or Canistel. Each has a different appearance and a different taste, as they are not necessarily related. The word ‘sapote’ was derived from the Aztec word ‘tzapoti’ which was a word commonly used for ‘edible fruit’. The yellow or golden version was an important part of the diet in Ancient Peru. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes from round to pointed and oval.

The Yellow Sapote is a yellow to golden waxy skinned fruit, with a rich flavour and a consistency of hard boiled egg yolk. Some fruits are quite dry and flaky, others can be more moist in texture. The flesh is sweet, so a little hard to relate to its egg yolk appearance. It is nutty and pumpkin like and fills the mouth with developing buttery caramel flavours. The flavour is not unlike sweet potato with the addition of lots of butter or cream. There is not a strong detectable aroma. In fact the aroma doesn’t compliment the taste.

A sprinkle of salt and lemon juice compliments the Canistel or even mayonnaise, for the adventurous. It can be lightly baked and used as a side dish for a meal. However, its sweetness can be put to good use in custards, icecream, milkshakes or in fruit pies (similar to pumpkin pie).

Yellow Sapote Pudding
Take one ripe (soft to feel) Yellow Sapote, remove skin, cut fruit open and remove seed(s). Put to one side. Squeeze the juice of one ripe lime (best when skin is turning to pale yellow) into a bowl and remove any seeds. Add flesh of fruit to bowl and mash together with a fork or back of spoon. Add the juice of a second lime and beat together to make moist and smooth. Other fruits can be added if you find the Sapote too rich in taste. Mango, pawpaw, banana or even avocado is suitable. Serve into individual dessert bowls or glasses and top with a little creamy natural yoghurt. High in antioxidants, high in protein, and high in energy. A little goes a long way. Enjoy.

The Mission Beach Tropical Fruit Safari is at the Mission Beach Visitor Information Centre every Monday and Tuesday at 1.00pm. Arrive by 12.45 to get your entry ticket.

Terri Scarborough
Tropical Fruit Safari Presenter

We like to include the banana in our Tropical Fruit Safari presentations because as well as our locally grown Cavendish banana, there are many other varieties grown here and throughout the world – over 500 species! Many of these are classified as ultra tropicals or exotics.

The banana is an amazing tropical fruit and is a meal in itself. It is rich in many vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium, as well as carbohydrates and lots of fibre.

Some of the varieties grown by our farmer are the Mona Lisa, smaller in size, with a raspberry/banana flavour and best eaten when quite soft. The Ducasse, known here as a sugar banana, is used for both cooking and eating. It is slightly more acidic and doesn’t blacken as easily as some, and the flower of this variety is sold as a vegetable. Very popular in Asian cooking.

The Red Dacca is a large cooking banana with a thick purple red skin. It has a starchy, cream to light pink flesh, and should be allowed to ripen well (skin becomes a deep red) before eating. The Plantain, although more a vegetable than a fruit, is not really a banana. It just looks that way. We showcase two varieties, the Pacific, a huge specimen that is delicious cooked or fresh, and the Elephant Tusk, another variety that must be quite black (ripe) before eating fresh. The Plantains contain less sugar and more starch than others, and so are better for cooking. Eaten fresh, they must be very ripe and chewed well to aid digestion of the high starch content.

The tiny PNG variety, the Goli Goli Pot Pot (Monkey Banana) , is a favourite for its smooth creamy consistency and its sweet fruity tang. It has a definite strong impact on the taste buds. There is a dry earthiness in the finish, particularly if not overly ripe.

For a very special dessert, try this at your next BBQ or dinner party:

1. Peel and slice banana lengthwise and put into a pan over a low flame with a knob
of butter.
2. Add a good sprinkle of brown sugar, turning occasionally and allowing to
caramelize.
3. Add a splash of rum and allow to reduce.
4. Serve with a scoop of vanilla icecream. Delicious!

The Mission Beach Tropical Fruit Safari returns from its summer break in on the 18th of March, so watch our website for a commencement date. Every Monday & Tuesday from 1.00pm.

Terri Scarborough
Tropical Fruit Safari Presenter

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Lychees are slightly acidic in taste, although that sweetness dominates. Served cold, they are wonderfully refreshing and palate cleansing. The flesh is silk-like on the tongue. It has excellent balance and taste and there is an after taste of sweet floral hints.

Lychee is a member of the soapberry family (soapnut tree) and is high in Vitamin C and the essential mineral Potassium. Lychee also has flavanoids with powerful antioxidant potential, which might help ward off a host of ailments but can only be good for us.

Scientists in China discovered that these flavonoids were found to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, especially effective against human breast cancer – very promising for the future.

As with most ultra tropical fruits, the lychee is best eaten fresh, but it can also be preserved by canning. It’s often made into jams, jellies, sauces, purees, and preserves. Lychee is a favourite addition to salads and desserts but can also be a wonderful contrast in a savoury dish.

Try this one for something different.

Barbecued Pork with Lychee and Asian Baby Greens
1/2 cup walnut halves 2 pork fillets
3 tsp Chinese five spice 1 garlic clove, crushed
1/3 cup soy sauce 1 x 100g pkt Asian baby greens (Woolworths brand)
12 lychees, peeled, halved 1/4 cup peanut oil
1 garlic clove, extra, crushed Pinch of salt

Heat a small non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook walnuts, tossing occasionally, for 3 minutes or until toasted. Remove from heat. Coarsely chop and set aside until required.

Place pork fillets in a large glass bowl. Combine five spice, garlic and 2 tbs of soy sauce in a jug and pour over pork. Turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour to marinate, turning occasionally.

Preheat a barbecue grill or chargrill on medium-high. Drain pork from marinade and reserve. Cook on preheated grill, brushing occasionally with marinade, for 8 minutes each side or until juices run just pink to clear when pierced with a skewer. Transfer to a plate and set aside for 10 minutes to rest.

While the pork is resting, place Asian baby greens, lychees and walnuts in a large bowl. Combine peanut oil, extra garlic and remaining soy sauce in a jug and drizzle over the salad. Gently toss to combine. Taste and season with salt.

Thickly slice the pork across the grain. Add to the bowl with the lychee and Asian baby greens salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

The Mission Beach Tropical Fruit Safari is at the Visitor Centre every Monday and Tuesday at 1.00pm. Arrive by 12.45 to get your entry ticket.

Terri Scarborough
Tropical Fruit Safari Presenter

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