There are three types of easily-accessible passion fruit (lilikoi) on Maui:
From Left to right, we have the red lilikoi, yellow lilikoi and jamaican lilikoi. The yellow lilikoi is the most astringent and abundant of the three. It's vine grows in tall trees and the fruits drop to the ground in droves when they are ripe. The visual effect is something similar to a bountiful easter egg hunt.
Friday after work, I set out to collect model specimens of each variety and Joe and I executed a very serious taste test. Here are our findings:
The Jamaican Lilikoi was unique in that it was the only fruit with a soft, foam-like exterior. The other two rocked cardboard-esque husks. Upon cutting open the lilikoi, a brain-like interior was revealed. The Jamaican lilikoi (center) being the brainiest:
The bouquet of each variety proved varied and unique. For the Jamaican lilikool (JLK), Joe and I settled on fresh melon and cucumber. For the yellow, just under-ripe strawberries and for the red, the smell of the inside of a pumpkin when you are carving it (no joke.) The taste profiles of each were equally particular. The JLK had a strangely artificial taste and we went through all the candy flavors (such as artificial strawberry and grape) before Joe nailed it on the head with "tropical-flavored starburst pack." (Let me tell you, only the most sophisticated of palettes could have discerned the essence of this fruit with such exactitude. I was impressed.) The yellow lilikoi packed some serious pucker and smack factor. I likened it to a blueberry warhead but, let's be honest, it tastes exactly like lilikoi. The red lilikoi was a little gentler on the lips though still sour. Joe noted it was something you ate until you got sick. In short, we ate the s*&t out of them.
On another note, there are some beautiful mushrooms growing in one of the gardens:
Lastly, concerning the title of my blog: case in point.
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