Champagne Fruit (Vasconcellea × heilbornii. Syn. Carica pentagona)
The Champagne Fruit is also known as the Babaco. Related to the pawpaw, it is an attractive torpedo shaped fruit with effervescent flesh – hence the name “champagne fruit”.
The fruit is seedless and tastes of strawberry, papaya, kiwi and pineapple. The smooth, golden skin can be eaten. The texture of the flesh is light and refreshing. The whole fruit can be made into a tasty thirst quenching drink. It makes a good meat tenderizer due to its high papain content. When sliced across, the fruit is star-shaped, so it makes an attractive addition to platters. It’s relatively low in sugar, so serve it with a light dusting of sugar to really bring out the flavour. Our favourite way of serving champagne fruit is to wash it, cut it into chunks without peeling it, sprinkle with cinnamon or ground cardamom and some sugar, and stew it without adding any water.
