Common Name: Cape Gooseberry
Vernacular Names: Golden berry, Physalis
Botanical Name: Physalis peruviana
Specimens From: Colombia
Specimens Weight: 6 gm (Average weight per fruit)
Cape gooseberry, an unusual fruit with the leafy-liked husk surrounding its berry, is ideal for decorative purposes.
It is native to South America, believes to be from Brazil, Colombia, Chile and Peru and it is now cultivated in many tropical, subtropical countries.
Don't be mistaken by the name, "gooseberry". It is misleading as it is not a gooseberry at all as it does not even belongs to the gooseberry family. It is related to the tomato and potato instead.
This fruit is a small round berry, about the size of a grape. It is orange-yellow when ripe and covered with a layer of shiny, waxing oil. Every berry is protected by the papery husk, that looks like dried leaves.
Do not peel off the inedible, papery husk until you are ready to eat, as it can help protect the berry when kept dry. The taste is similar to grapes. It has a unique sweetness with a tangy taste. There are many small seeds but it is edible and most of the time, it is soft enough to eat.
Fruit: Cape Gooseberry; Physalis peruviana; Solanaceae.
Other fruit in the same family: Pepino
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when i and my brother would follow the stretch of creeks in the neighborhood, we would often come across these small heavens, they tasted so sweet and we would often scramble over them^^
ReplyDeleteAnother delight I am putting on my list to taste!!!
ReplyDeleteHugs, JJ
Hard to believe those little treats are hiding inside that dried-out pod. Will have to see if I can find some!
ReplyDeleteFruity...Its been long since I saw ur post :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat post yet again :-))
They do look like little tomatoes. I've seen them before somewhere, but I can't remember where. It must have been a cooking show.
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried these Fruity....
ReplyDeletethey sound delicious...I'll have to see if they are available over here :)
The husk looks remarkable. Really like dried out paper or leaf and the fruit does look like tomato. Interesting. :D
ReplyDeleteSerena
ChatnChill
I've never seen this fruit before. it might not be available in mauritius
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating fruit! It's like a pearl within its shell.
ReplyDeleteThis is so cool! I can't help but learn so much from this blog. Really, how did I get to be this old without experiencing some of these items?
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your comments. It does look like tomato as they are from the same family.
ReplyDeleteFruity
Hi! Your blog is awesome, very informative :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid I used to play with my sisters, throwing this fruit at each other. It grew in abundance back then, we call it 'Kalapakon' in our native Kadazan language.
fruits of quality of decorative purpose is great . lovely cape gooseberry
ReplyDeletesuman
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I'm very curious about these. I have something that looks like a cape gooseberry, but they don't seem to be ripening past a light yellow.
ReplyDeleteI have an abundance of them, obviously the seeds were in the compost I purchased for my flower bed. Trying to figure out if indeed they ARE cape gooseberries, and if they are edible.
My kid received 3 of these as snack at school today, we were doubtful if this was edible but after reading it in your blog we ate them and they were delicious !!
ReplyDeleteMy boy received this as snack at his school, he was doubtful if they were edible so he brought them home, we ate them after reading your blog, and they were absolutely delicious!! :)
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