Pepino

The fruit of the mellow bush is a berry 8-15 cm long and half as thick, whose shape is markedly variable and ranges from banana-shaped-elongated to meat-tomato-shaped-ribbed. The skin is cream-coloured with dark red to purple stripes. The flesh is creamy yellow to salmon-coloured, very juicy, and pleasantly fragrant. Taste-wise it resembles a mixture of melon and pear, very sweet but not quite as pronounced.

Origin

The pepino is native to the warm, high-altitude mountain valleys of Peru and Colombia. Today, however, it is cultivated in almost all South American countries. There are also smaller cultures in the USA, Australia, Kenya and several Mediterranean countries. The fruit is mainly imported from Peru (July to January), Chile (February to August) and New Zealand (January to June).

Tips

You should only eat pepinos when the fruit colour has changed from greenish to cream and the fruit yields to light pressure. Pepinos discolour quickly after cutting. They should therefore only be cut up shortly before consumption.

Preparation

The best way to eat them is raw and slightly chilled, with or without the skin, and remove the seeds. Fruit pieces can be seasoned with sugar, lemon juice and ginger and served as a delicate dessert.