Summer Fruit and Plant Diversity

Oh, happy day! The summer fruit has finally started arriving again. In our ongoing mission to add plant diversity to our diets, I encourage you to seek out some of these treasures, especially ones you haven’t tried before. Remember, our goal is always to eat at least 30 different plants per week, the more the better for microbiome health. I can’t think of a more delightful way to diversity our microbiomes than to eat fruit.

This week’s highlights are donut peaches, rambutans, and golden hami melons.

Rambutans
I am crazy for rambutans. Truly. I buy multiple packages at at time from the moment they arrive until they are sadly gone a few weeks later. They have just landed at Costco, so if you haven’t tried them before, I encourage you to rush out to get some. Rambutans are native to Southeast Asia and are related to lychees and longans, both of which I also love.

Rambutans have a fun outer fuzzy covering, which always makes me think of Dr. Seuss, with a soft inner flesh and an inedible center seed. To eat them, just slice them around the middle, pull out the inner flesh, and nibble around the seed. They are super juicy, so be sure to have a napkin close at hand.

Rambutans are rich in antioxidants, high in vitamin C and copper, and full of both soluble and insoluble fiber. These fibers feed our good gut microbes, which in turn produce short-chain fatty acids, which then can help to reduce systemic inflammation, protect the integrity of our intestinal barrier, and reduce our risk of colon cancer. It’s hard to believe something so delicious is also so good for us!

Donut Peaches
Fear not, these aren’t genetically modified fruits. The donut peach is native to China, where they have been grown for centuries. They are the descendants of wild pan tao (also called peento) peaches, and they were originally imported to the US in the 1800s. Given their higher sugar content than regular peaches, they are particularly sweet, and they are the perfect size for lunchboxes or snacking. They have a super short growing window, so you will only find them in stores for a few weeks.

Donut peaches are high in potassium and vitamins C and E, filled with fiber, and have high levels of chlorogenic acid, which is a powerful antioxidant. Be sure to eat the skin to obtain the maximum fiber, polyphenols, and choline content.

Golden Hami Melons
The Hami melon is a muskmelon native to Hami, Xinjiang, China, and it has been in cultivation for at least 1500 years. Legend has it that they were originally gifts to the emperor in the Qing Dynasty, and there is now an entire Hami Melon Festival in their honor each summer in Xinjiang. Having eaten them, I totally understand why. They have a nubbly, golden, oblong exterior, beautiful pale peach flesh, and a unique crisp, almost crunchy interior. As my son and I ate an entire one of these in about ten minutes flat yesterday, we decided it was like a cross between a cantaloup and a watermelon, with a flavor profile similar to a cantaloup but a refreshing bite more akin to a watermelon or even a firm nectarine. Should you want to try this unique and totally delicious melon, the hamis have just arrived at Costco.

Hami melons are high in vitamins C and A, rich in antioxidants, high in potassium, and full of fiber.

Which new plants are you going to add this week to up your plant diversity? It doesn’t get much more delicious than these three fabulous fruits. I can’t wait to see what arrives in the stores next week!

Happy happy summer eating!🌱💕