So how did this Bolivian fruit become associated with the Chinese New Year?

Hmm, good question. In lieu of doing some actual research on that, I'll make stuff up off the top of my head.

The family of fruits is quite widespread even including a member in North America, the pawpaw. So there may well be relatives or other varieties in Asian countries, naturally, as well as varieties brought over during the 18th and 19th centuries. They have been spread far and wide in the past couple hundred years which leaves plenty of time for them to become associated with any of various events that may coincide with the time they are ripe.

And really, that's the easy answer. They're one of the only fruits to ripen in the winter and so if one is in need of something to use for a celebration, i.e. Chinese New Year, one may be forced to use whatever is available.

What i find particularly interesting, is that the store where I get them is a Viet supermarket. In fact, our 'chinatown' is not Chinese at all, but rather Vietnamese. And yet, you never hear Viet New Year or Thai New Year or Malay New Year, etc. I'd like to know why that is, but I'd like to not search for the info myself, because i'm busy soaking orchids. :)
-MB

I'm so provincial. I've not yet had most of the fruits you named, including your beloved cherimoya. I should probably make a point of it. Speaking of winter fruits, I saw some pretty persimmons in the store the other day. Wish I'd bought some. Next time I'm out I'll keep my eyes peeled for these things you rave about.

I've seen none of them where I shop - I think it has to do with the ethnicity of the customers..... ;)

You are right Komi, MB is probably Chinese ):
MB you should try Mangosteen- awesome fruit esp if you like Lychees. Key is to get them at appropriate ripeness.
Never heard of SC melons, will give Cherimoya a try- I am a fruit freak, lol

I'm not Chinese, I'm Anglican.
I absolutely LOVE Lychees! They're one of my favorites. So you can bet if I ever get a chance at some fresh mangosteen, I won't miss it!

One of the best things about a SC melon, is the look on someone's face when they try it for the first time. They don't look like they'd be all that good, or at least no better than a honeydew, but they are...oh yes, they are. And then once you've got them hooked, you drop the bomb of the lime juice addition. I can't begin to describe it. The typical reaction is "WOW!...where do I get these and what were they called again???"

Cherimoya usually elicits a similar reaction, largely I think, because they don't look tasty at all. They look kinda gross inside and out. I'm perfectly happy for the closed minded and fearful to avoid them. It leaves more for me! Mmmmmmmm

I've mentioned before that I'm utterly fascinated by the surfeit of fruits that start with the letter P, vs. the comparitive dearth that start with other letters.

Let's list some, shall we?

Plantain
Papaya
Pawpaw
Prune
Pear
Pomegranate
Plum
Peach
Passion fruit
Pomelo
Pineapple
Persimmon
....I won't even mention pumpkin, prickly pear, pickles, peanuts, or pinecones, as I don't want any controvercy to detract from my homage to cherimoyae. :)

Pomegranates, yummm. again has to be the right variety. Had some lovely Rivera pears sent from Harry and David(Dunno if it is worth 40 bucks for 7 pears)-was a gift , so no complaints.
You have really got me thinking about Cherimoya- where would I get them- ebay?!!
Never heard of Pomelo.
I can't find the name of this awesome fruit- size of a large grape- sweet and sour at the same time- very interesting taste- love it.

Large grape, sweet & sour...hmmmmm, a kumquat? A Kiwi? A longan?

I'm sure you can get cherimoya where you live. They're probably being grown in your neighborhood and you don't realize it! Believe it or not, I found them at Walmart once, but it was a different variety and was nasty.

I get them at a Vietnamese supermarket and since they're used for 'Chinese New Year' celebrations, *any* asian market would be a good bet to look for them. Also latino markets. Also look for their more common names, sugar-apple or custard-apple. Hope you find some!

just don't bother with a Japanese market.....

Pomelos - yummmmmm...... Looks like a big grapefruit, and has a thick thick pith (indestructible). I love them because they aren't as sour as gfruits and aren't all that juicy (excellent desk citrus). There's another common name for them but I'm not remembering it.

I thought this is custard apple- deeper pitted skin/ may be this is the same family as cherimoya. Have to try the chinese stores for some of these finds.
Custard apple:
{{gwi:133702}}

Found more of interest on the cherimoya

Here is a link that might be useful: In Delicious of the Cherimoya!

"It can be more delicious when eating after it cools it with the refrigerator if becoming soft after the ripening.
(Even if fruits which were on softness are preserved in the refrigerator, the relish time limit will be made in 2-3 days. Please eat ahead of time.)

It is the most delicious in length if eating with the spoon without making to remunerative the a half or dividing four with the knife, and peeling off the skin."

LOL...is it just me or does it kind of sound like Smeagol/Gollum wrote that? We loves the cherimoya! We loves it forever! For it is precious to us...

...the relish time limit will be made in 2-3 days... those are some freaking wise words, man...heed them! That's a great site, thanks for the link!
-MB

I'll have to try one.

I have been drinking horrrifically expensive Mangosteen juice...but since it is mixed with red cherry juice I wonder....and it doesn't seem to be working. Tastes great...but I have to restrict myself to 2 oz. I don't think I'll buy another bottle...

I want to try a Duran someday. Did I say that right? I can't remember and I think I'm having a brain glitch..one of those wierd fruit that it has to smell bad to taste good.

I'm trying to get some persimmon trees to grow...but I'm a little chicken. I hear some aren't very good, and that you have to wait until they are dead ripe to have any good tasting ones. The fruit are beautiful though.

I did put in Boysenberries...I'm ripping them out. They are nasty sour. I'm told you have to wait until they are almost rotting but the birds usually get them before people do...I just don't have interest in that sort of a bramble, so they're getting ripped out and I'm putting in some more red raspberries, or maybe some of the golden ones.

Durian.

I've had a durian smoothie and I tried to try the fruit once but...well, it didn't work out. I really don't think they smell all THAT bad. Its kind of garlicky.

I'm not crazy about persimmons. When I was a kid in North Carolina, we would go walking along the road and pick boysenberries. Then my mom would make jelly from them. Man they were good.

One thing that is great about cherimoyas and lychees, is that they will sprout readily from the seeds and make a nice houseplant. Check with me in a few years and we'll see if I can get fruit!
-MB

I believe the trick with persimmons is to let them experience frost or freeze on the tree. There's probably a difference between the Asian and American species that's significant, too but I'd have to dig out my notes to check on that.

Got a catalog yesterday and was drooling over all the blueberry, blackberry and strawberry varieties. Oh, look! They've got persimmon. Says you need two for pollination.

I'm looking at their elderberry now. I was looking around for one last year as I think those and currants are the only things I could grow to get any fruit in my shady location. All we had at work for elders were the ornamental purple leaved ones and I doubt they're much on fruit production.

Shady, you should be able to find plenty of elderberries on the roadsides in the country. My neighbor bought 5 bushes, and after I told her what to look for in the wild found MANY stands. She made 30 pints of elderberry jam and three pies.

Yep. You have to let them frost, but even then persimmons are supposed to vary. I bought two last year, bare root and they never came out of dormancy....and wouldn't you know I got around to returning their bodies a week after the expiration date on the warrenty (even though they NEVER threw leaves) and so I was out $80.

Thanks for the Durian...yah, I was having a brain freeze last night. I knew that Duran wasn't right, although I've been known to like Duran Duran, but for the life of me, I couldn't come up with Durian!

persimmons rock! At least the sweet varieties in japan do. They also get shade-dried the trad way,

{{gwi:133704}}

and then sold at outrageous prices for the year-end gift-giving thing, either strung like garlic

{{gwi:133705}}

or individually wrapped and boxed

{{gwi:133706}}

A box of 32 was about $60. You could make a killing!

Oh, yeah, we had elderberries on the farm when I was a pup. Mom didn't do anything with them but they do look nice when they're in bloom. I'm thinking even if I don't eat the fruit, they'll attract some birds to the garden. Assuming birds still exist. Since the one chickadee there hasn't been one bird at the feeder.

I walked into a Cherimoya about a week ago. Not at an asian store but at Harris Teeter, of all places.... I suspect that Shoppers food warehouse probably carries these things too.

Anyway, I still prefer a lychee. (I felt compelled to report that here :) The seeds are gorgeous though.

i want to try a rambutan. they look strange and bizarre 0_o

yet oddly tasty in some odd way.

Rambutan are kind of overrated if you ask me. They do look cool but in the end, you're much better off eating a lychee. They're very similar, just not as good.

And to Komi, I agree. Cherimoya seeds are gorgeous, poisonous, and will readily germinate! As good as cherimoya are...once you've had two or three in a week, a lychee is a nice break. Hooray for fruit!

I just planted an Asian pear...still looking for some decent Persimmon stock....I'm not going the bare root thing again as I lost two. Asian pears are ok...but at $1.99 a pear, I figured the tree would be a good investment for something a little different.