Coming Soon to a Grocer Near You

When I named this blog "Bits and Pieces," I meant it literally. I wanted it to be a blog about a little bit of everything.

But it honestly didn't hit me until I was thinking about writing this post that I am, in fact, truly all over the place here.

Hope you don't mind...and hope you see it rather as being a surprise and something fresh and new and exciting each time you get an update from me.

Anyway, the topic of today's post is the latest, hottest, most exotic superfruit on the market. Like the pitaya below, for instance. (It's all about the food, after all. Right?)

Pitaya (aka dragon fruit) from Latin America -- is mildly sweet and high in both fiber and antioxidants, which help prevent heart disease and cancer

But before I go on, let me explain the name "superfruit."

It's a label that was conceived by marketers, not the FDA. Superfruits are known to be high in all those wonderful things that are good for you, supposedly making them much better snacks than "ordinary" fruits.

Hey, I'm not one to judge. Whether they're actually better and healthier for you than ordinary, everyday apples and bananas doesn't really matter. What does matter is that they sure do sound delicious...and different...and tasty...and tempting...and a chance to try something new to expand your palate.

It used to be that the  pomegranate was the reigning king (or queen) of superfruits. Think POM Wonderful and all the success this company has had with their juices, from 100% pomegranate (see photo below) to Pom-Cherry, -Mango, -Cranberry, and -Blueberry.

Now, consider that there's a whole slew of new and exciting superfruits right on the horizon overseas, just waiting to be imported to the States for us to enjoy.

In fact, my husband and I visited Asia Food Co. in downtown Cleveland yesterday (one of the largest Asian supermarkets in Ohio and also a source listed in the back of my book as a local ethnic import store), and let me tell you, the fruit selection there is absolutely, fabulously vibrant! Yes, we bought a pitaya. And yes, we really liked it!

Besides the pitaya, the next "newest" superfruits coming to America are:

Baobab Fruit from Africa -- high in vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for both brain and eye health

Gac Fruit from Southeast Asia -- contains 70 times as much tycopene (an antioxidant that helps heart health) than a tomato

Golden Berry from South America -- offers 2 grams of protein per serving, much more than the average fruit

Ligonberry from Scandinavia -- contains phytochemicals (such as arbutin, anthocyanin) that help fight urinary tract infections

Mangosteen from Indonesia -- high in vitamins A and C, which help strengthen bones and blood vessels

Monk Fruit from China -- doubles as a low-calorie sugar substitute

So there you have it, folks! Beautiful, exotic, super-duper healthy fruits that may be showing up in your grocery store real soon...and you can say you heard about them here first!

P.S. Feel free to share your exotic fruit stories right here.

Happy eating,