Babaco

What it is

A babaco can reach about 30 cm (12 in) long, rounded at the stem and pointed at the other end, with five distinct sides. As it ripens, yellow patches spread over the skin. The whole fruit is edible, including the thin skin, with no seeds to scoop out.

Where it comes from

Babaco probably comes from the central-southern highlands of Ecuador, where it was grown before Europeans arrived. It is still grown in Ecuador's Sierra, the mountain region, where people make it into juice and preserves. It also grows commercially in New Zealand and reached southern California in the 1970s.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Ibarra, Ecuador, almíbar de babaco is peeled, diced fruit simmered slowly in a syrup of sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice until the pieces turn translucent and the syrup is thick.

Dulce de babaco, a fruit preserve, also fills Ecuadorian tarts with sweet, crisp pastry. A yellow but still firm babaco suits this filling, and cooking the fruit first keeps the pieces firm instead of mushy. Fresh chunks take a drizzle of honey and lemon juice, and babaco also goes into juices and preserves.

How it's grown

The plant has a soft, upright trunk and grows to about 1.8 m (6 ft). Cool subtropical conditions suit it. Because it has no seeds, growers start new plants from pieces of the trunk, and those cuttings can produce fruit within 15 months.

When and where you'll find it

In southern California, where production is limited, babaco is sometimes found at farmers' markets and specialty markets. In Ecuador, Biovida includes it among the fresh seasonal fruits in its fruit basket. Fruit picked when the first yellow appears can finish ripening off the plant, and it is best eaten fresh when fully ripe.