Adventures in Brazilian Produce: Pinha or Fruta-do-conde

…AKA the Fruta-do-conde or the Sugar Apple. Having been in Brazil for a month, we still don’t know exactly what the proper name for this fruit is, but we know we like it. Here, we are finally getting used to the concept of buying fruits unripened, so the first time we bought a pinha, we didn’t understand what the big deal was. It tasted hard and bland, like an unsweetened pear. But then we figured out we had not let it ripen enough. To properly enjoy a Sugar Apple, you need to let it almost overripen, to the point where the fruit becomes so soft you can squeeze it open with a slight press of your hand. The days passed with anticipation, and we finally got it right. You can gently peel off the green outer layer, and squeeze out the flesh right onto a plate.

Sugar apples are filled with 50 or so black seeds, each of which is coated with a generous helping of flesh. Just pop the seeds into your mouth and squeeze the fruit off. The flesh hits notes like a very sweet, sugary pear; the sugar so dense you can practically feel the crystals in your mouth. It’s a great afternoon snack, and easy to store once you’ve squeezed out all the seeds. They are so readily available in Brazil, we’ll be sad when we have to head home, but we did read recently they are trying to grow the fruit in Florida, so we’ll see!