It all started with an innocent introduction by a guy named Jahvid at the Poipu Plantation on the island of Kauai in Hawaii. There was definitely an initial spark, but it took a chance encounter in Sydney, Australia to really get the relationship going. After a few other quick encounters in the Philippines, Hawaii, Ireland, and even Seattle, I was hooked. A very nice combination of sweet and tart!
When I moved to Guernsey, I was pleasantly surprised to find passion fruits in the supermarket. The place I shopped when I first moved here had some for awhile. Then we got a new Waitrose (UK supermarket chain) and they had passion fruit in abundant supply. I heard a rumor that they would decide what to stock longer term based on items that sold well when they first opened. I was buying passion fruit by the dozens to make sure they keep stocking it. I have wondered what the store management must think when I’m off the island for a week or so and their passion fruit sales go way down.
Our passion fruit comes mostly from Africa – Kenya, South Africa, and maybe one or two other countries. The South African fruit seems exceptionally large. Maybe they use the same steroids and Botox enhanced farming methods as used in the US.
How to eat: cut in half; scoop out and eat seeds.
