This month, work has whisked me away to sun-kissed Hainan Province, or more specifically, the World of Tropical Fruits Garden in the coastal city of Qionghai. Picture a park-like setting, perfect for a leisurely stroll in the sun, filled to the brim with bizarre and delightful fruits like rainbow bananas and chocolate pudding fruits. As I turned every corner, I couldn’t help but think, “That has got to be fake!” But as I explored deeper into this tropical wonderland – also known as “China’s Tropical Fruit Gene Bank” – I quickly realized that everything here was as real as my childhood dream of one day going to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory.
Now, being a Brit it doesn’t take much to impress me in the fruit department. Growing up, my fruit selection was basically apples, grapes, oranges and bananas. Exotic fruits like blueberries were the height of sophistication in my neck of the woods. So when I first moved to Beijing and discovered a world of durians, dragon fruit and pomelos, my mind was already blown. It wasn’t until I returned to the UK for a summer holiday and couldn’t find my newfound favorites that I realized just how limited my previous selection was. Coincidentally, since moving to China and trading my traditional bag of potato chips for sweet and sour mangosteen, I have also lost quite a bit of weight around my midsection. Fast-forward to the present day and I am raring to go now that I have the opportunity to further expand my palate.
So, what fun fruits did this Englishman uncover? Upon entering the garden’s intriguing fruit section, the first to catch my eye was the “milk fruit,” which is called “cow’s milk fruit” in Chinese. At first, my brain struggled to accept the concept of dairy and fruit being one singular, edible entity. With the texture of an orange and a subtle hint of milk, I immediately wanted to know if I could find it online to add to my weekly shopping list.
And this was just the beginning of my fruit-tasting journey. Next up was the red honey phoenix pineapple and white cocoa beans. They both had flavors similar to the classics, but I was all about those vibrant new colors. This experience really drove home something I’ve always believed: we’re living in a time where the fruit combo possibilities are endless. Chocolate apples? Yes, please! Caramel strawberries? Count me in! Rainbow pears? I can’t wait to taste the rainbow!
When lunchtime rolled around, I decided to check out the garden’s restaurant, where every dish made use of tropical fruits. It was a mixed bag – sweet and sour fish with papaya? A total win. But dragon fruit fried rice? Let’s just say it looked fabulously purple but tasted like, well, regular fried rice, which was a wee bit disappointing after such an exciting day. However, I’m nothing if not a child at heart, so give me colorful food any day!
After lunch, I tried my hand at a chocolate-making workshop. You might be asking, “What on earth does chocolate have to do with fruit?” But as it turns out, chocolate starts off as cocoa beans, which are, drumroll please… a fruit! I guess this means that next time I indulge in a Mars bar from 7/11, I can confidently tell my mom I’m upping my fruit intake.
Making my own chocolate turned out to be a delightful experience, and it is far simpler than I could have ever imagined. The process really only entailed mixing and grinding cocoa beans, powdered milk, red sugar and butter. I had always imagined that the wonders of chocolate could only be created through the latest high-tech machinery, but you live and learn. Now that I have uncovered the secret to making it, I think that whipping up some natural chocolate bars would be the perfect Saturday afternoon activity to do with my daughter.
All in all, this latest chapter in my fruit discovery journey has in some ways been emblematic of my time in China. As I sip on a coconut and wrap up this article, I’m reminded that travel truly does broaden our horizons, and I guess my ever-expanding palate probably reflects my own growth during my time here. I’ll ponder that thought as I tuck into the delight that is an Australian finger lime.
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