What is this most unusual fruit?

07/28/2006 01:35:57 AM · #1

I've been to California many times, but had never seen these fruits before. I thought they were gorgeous and very unusual. Anyone know what they are?

Found on a tree outside the Sebastiani Winery in Sonoma, California last October. The fruit is about 1.5 inches in diameter.

Becky

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

07/28/2006 01:40:10 AM · #2

They are rather attractive... did you eat one?

Judi

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

07/28/2006 01:42:43 AM · #3

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

They are rather attractive... did you eat one?

Be careful...you can't always eat everything that is attractive...it might have a bite!!!!

kyebosh

Canon EOS-20D

Canon EF 80-200mm f/2.8L

07/28/2006 01:42:45 AM · #4

no idea, but if you discovered it you get to name it ;-)

07/28/2006 01:44:25 AM · #5

Originally posted by Judi:

Be careful...you can't always eat everything that is attractive...it might have a bite!!!!

Oh, ok... I'll try to remember that :-P

07/28/2006 01:47:40 AM · #6

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

They are rather attractive... did you eat one?

LOL No, I have a very strong survival instinct and I learned that most red things in nature are poisonous. Just look at what happened when someone took a bite of that 1st apple. And the Europeans were sure that tomatoes were poisonous - which my daughter still believes quite strongly. ;)

You can try them for me. I think we can afford to sacrifice you on a tasting mission. :D

Becky

07/28/2006 01:55:07 AM · #7

I'm not much for being on the giving end of sacrifice, but thanks for thinking of me :-)

Canon 12x IS USM (S3 IS built-in Lens) -- 36-432mm (35mm EQ)

07/28/2006 01:57:20 AM · #8

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

I'm not much for being on the giving end of sacrifice, but thanks for thinking of me :-)

But, you'd have me sacrifice myself on the altars of taste testing? What hypocrisy, what sexism, ... what common sense. ;-)

Becky

GeneralE

Canon PowerShot S3 IS

07/28/2006 02:00:37 AM · #9

They look like lychees or a close relative. Probably unripe as yet ...

Lychees:

Rambutan:

Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 EX DG for Pentax

07/28/2006 02:05:29 AM · #10

Originally posted by rjkstesch:

But, you'd have me sacrifice myself on the altars of taste testing? What hypocrisy, what sexism, ... what common sense. ;-)

If you had eaten the fruit and lived so far, I can make one of three logical conclusions...

1) The fruit is edible
2) The fruit has a slow acting poison, which usually means lots of pain and suffering in the end
3) You have aquired some sort of super-power from the fruit you don't yet know about.

OK, 3 is not so logical, but the most fun :-)

Leok

Pentax K10D

07/28/2006 02:30:59 AM · #11

Originally posted by GeneralE:

They look like lychees or a close relative. Probably unripe as yet ...

Lychees: Rambutan:

mmm Rambutan

Only other fruit I like as much is mangosteen (mangis)

Pug-H

Pentax K10D

Sigma 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical HF for Pentax

07/28/2006 03:11:28 AM · #12

I'd say they're irish strawberries. No kidding. We had a tree of them in our yard when I was growing up. Not edible.

As for the tomatoes being poisonous - the story is that Americans thought they were poisonous (too) until some guy in 1817, or sometime around then, announced he would eat some and not die. So a big crowd gathered to watch him die, but were severely disappointed.

Sigma 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical HF for Pentax

07/28/2006 03:21:25 AM · #13

Originally posted by Pug-H:

So a big crowd gathered to watch him die, but were severely disappointed.

Geeez, didn't that just suck...lol...

Ya know, for all the food that we eat now someone had to be the first. Quite a few cultures eat dishes that have to be prepared a very specific way or they will kill you.

You have to wonder how many village idiots had to die before the dish was deemed safe. "Well Bob, I think I got it right this time...try this..."

Pug-H

Pentax K10D

07/28/2006 07:29:52 AM · #14

Originally posted by fotomann_forever:

Originally posted by Pug-H:
So a big crowd gathered to watch him die, but were severely disappointed.

Geeez, didn't that just suck...lol...

This is from the wikipedia Tomato entry, but I have seen websites about this legend (as in probable myth):
The story goes that the lingering doubts about the safety of the tomato in the United States were largely put to rest in 1820, when Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson announced that at noon on September 26, he would eat a basket of tomatoes in front of the Salem, New Jersey courthouse. Reportedly, a crowd of more than 2,000 persons gathered in front of the courthouse to watch the poor man die after eating the poisonous fruits, and were shocked when he lived.