Posted
on May 02, 2008
Import/Export Report: Fresh Tropical
Fruits from Thailland
Popular Fresh Mangosteen, Rambutan, Longan, and
Lychee from Thailand Now Available
in the United States
By
JoAnne Green
May 02, 2008
(Photo courtesy of Melissa's/World Variety Produce, Inc.)
Many people who have traveled in
Southeast Asia
would enthusiastically tell you how mangosteen, rambutan, longan,
and lychee are deliciously and delectably sweet. These tropical
fruits have delicate, smooth, and exotic flavors. They are best when
served fresh.
These popular tropical fruits can be found in most open markets in
such places as Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Tahiti,
and Hawaii.
They can also be found in various markets around the U.S. and
Canada, particularly those that cater to Southeast Asians.
The commercial production of these fruits is mainly in Southeast
Asia countries.
These popular fruits have been imported from Thailand in canned form
and have been available in the canned-food aisles in many U.S.
supermarkets for many years. On June 20, 2007, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) officially announced
that these fruits could now be imported fresh into the
United States, providing certain conditions are met.
The first
shipment of these fresh fruits arrived in grocery stores on the West
Coast in 2007 and on the East Coast early in 2008. Much more of the
fresh Thai fruits will appear in American grocery markets in the
spring of 2008, as the fruits come back into season.
The
following descriptions and photos will help you to recognize these
fresh exotic fruits
Mangosteen is a small, round fruit with a thick, purple skin
encasing succulent, sweet-tart white segments. This popular dessert
fruit is eaten fresh from the shell. Fresh Thai mangosteens are
available May-October.
(Photo courtesy of Melissa's/World
Variety Produce, Inc.)
Rambutan, instantly recognizable by its bright red, hairy
skin, is popular throughout Southeast Asia. The small, egg-shaped,
white, textured flesh inside is deliciously
sweet. The season for fresh Thai rambutans is from April-October.
(Photo courtesy of Melissa's/World
Variety Produce, Inc.)
The popular
longan is also known as "dragon eyes" because it resembles
an eye when shelled. The translucent-white, soft, sweet, and juicy
flesh surrounds a large, black seed. Longan is related to the lychee,
and both have been grown in Southeast Asia for 1,000 years. Longan's
musky, sweet, rich fruit, enveloped in a smooth, brown, leathery
skin, is enjoyed chilled as a dessert, in fruit salads, as a snack,
or as a delicious addition to many dishes, including soups. Fresh
Thai longans are available from June-October.
(Photo courtesy of Melissa's/World
Variety Produce, Inc.)
Extremely
sweet, but with a touch of sourness, lychees are
popular for dessert. About the size of a large grape, they have a
rough red skin surrounding juicy, white flesh and a smooth black
seed. They are generally served with ice, freshly peeled and pitted.
In addition to being a succulent fresh fruit, lychees are popular as
juices and wines and in flavored cocktails. The Thai lychee season
is from April-June.
(Photo courtesy of Melissa's/World
Variety Produce, Inc.)
I enjoy
these tropical fruits immensely. I hope that you will, too.
###
Copyright (c) JoAnne
Green
About JoAnne
Green: JoAnne is an American
businesswoman. She specializes in Multinational Business Relation
and Transglobal Risk Management. She is the founder and principal of
Sunburst
International Risk Management (SRIM) and
Sunburst Worldwide
Insurance Services.
For information on SIRM international risk and insurance protection
programs, custom-designed risk mitigation and training services,
please visit Sunburst websites: www.InternationalRiskManagement.com
and
www.WorldwideMedicalPlans.com
Click
here for Instant Quotes & Online Purchase
For Global Travel Medical, Accident, & Life Insurance
Another Airline Casualty: Aloha Airline
By
JoAnne Green
March 31, 2008
Seeing a decal of a bird of paradise flower on Aloha
Airline’s tail often brought me good memories of good old
days of inter-island hoping during the early 1980s. We, a
bunch of young working college people in Oahu, would get in
line in front of the Aloha Airline counter to get our
tickets to either Maui or Big Island for a 3-day holiday
weekend. We each paid about $US45.00 round trip to
Maui and $US65.00 to
Big
Island. Of
course, we often selected the least busy time of the day to
get such low prices. No advanced reservations needed. We
benefited from fierce competition between Aloha Air and
Hawaiian Air in those days.
On
April 1, 2008, Aloha Airline will cease its operation
completely after a long financial struggle since 2004. There are no
longer any working online reservations through
Aloha Airlines.
Travelers who have booked tickets for future trips can contact
either
United Airlines or
Hawaiian Airlines to rebook their
tickets. Neither
United Airlines or
Hawaiian Airlines promise to honor all
Aloha’s tickets.
Aloha!!!
###
Copyright (c) JoAnne Green
About JoAnne
Green:
JoAnne is an American
businesswoman. She specializes in Multinational Business Relation
and Transglobal Risk Management. She is the founder and principal of
Sunburst
International Risk Management (SRIM) and
Sunburst Worldwide
Insurance Services.
For information on SIRM international risk and insurance protection
programs, custom-designed risk mitigation and training services,
please visit Sunburst websites: www.InternationalRiskManagement.com
and
www.WorldwideMedicalPlans.com
Click Here
for Instant Quotes & Online
Purchase
for Global Travel,
Medical & Life Insurance
Stumble It!
