Last Monday Sue and I headed up to Shoreditch, London to attend a Thai Fruit Adventures event. We had heard about this event through Pink Sky and Adventures in Fruit, a company we had both met at the BBC Good Food Show back in May 2016, introducing us to some unusual Thai fruit and flavours.
We received an invite by the Royal Thai Embassy to attend an exclusive evening party, where you would be introduced to the best fruit that Thailand has to offer.
With live music, celebrity chef and Thai food specialist Sebby Holmes, Thai canapés, and free goodie bags, this was an opportunity to hear directly from the suppliers and the Thai government about what makes their fruit so special and why it carries the prestigious Thai Trust Mark. We also had the opportunity to meet one of the best fruit farmers in Thailand.
Greeted by a delicious coconut milk sponsored by M&S and then samplying some delicious fruit and canapés. The fruit carvings were quite something!
Mangosteen – known as the Queen of Thai fruits, mangosteen has a distinctive purple skin covering five to six white segments with a sweet and slightly tart taste. I did find it to be refreshing and I understand it cools the body. It is high in Vitamins B and C, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and rich in xanthines, a powerful anti-oxidant that promotes a healthy immune system.
Mangosteen fruits
Mango – Thai mangoes are renowned for their sweet and juicy flesh. I have recently had them in a delicious Thai recipe ‘coconut sticky rice and mango’ . These are rich in Vitamins A,B,C minerals and beta-carotene, mangoes improve skin complexion and digestion.
Longan – These are grown in clusters of small brown balls, cultivated in Northern Thailand. Crack the skin with a knife and bite into the sweet, light coloured flesh. The small brown stone is not edible. They are enjoyed fresh, chilled in syrup, or boiled with sticky rice. These fruit are a source of calcium, phosphorus, iron, carbohydrates and Vitamin C.
Longan
Rambotan
Rambotan – These were a fruit I had never come across before. They are bright red fruit covered in soft red hairs, rambutan is extra suit with white translucent flesh covering a small, inedible seed. Rambutan is rich in Vitamin C, minerals and carbohydrates, while the sweet flesh is said to help beautify the skin. The fruit is also exported canned in syrup.
After watching Sebby Holmes make a delicious spicy appetizer we then enjoyed chatting some more over other dishes such as Jack Fruit curry. I had to sample the Thai wine and beer too!
