"But what if it tastes funny?"

Oh, don't be a coward. Be adventurous and give it a try, whatever kind of food it is. In the case of many foods, especially meats, a lot of people don't want anything new unless it tastes "like chicken." That's a shame, and unfortunately it crosses over into the world of botanical cuisine as well, whether it's grain, fruit or vegetable.

This is a decidedly tropical plant, potentially a large tree, which grows widely in damp, tropical forests from southern China through much of southeastern Asia. It is a member of the rather large "soapberry" family, which boasts upwards of 2,000 species or so. (Many of these species have bark or seeds which, when whisked with water, foam up considerably and offer something of a soap substitute; hence, the name.) This plant family is indeed mostly tropical, occurring widely in Asia, but also the Pacific basin as well as South America.

Although this particular species is native to southeastern Asia, it is rather widely grown in just about any tropical region of the world, including Hawaii and southern Florida, and, in cultivation, comes in several different varieties. This species has achieved considerable fame as a fruit producer, although it is probably not as popular, world-wide, as its close cousin, the similarly tropical (and Asiatic) litchi (or "lychee"). This photo was made very recently of fresh fruits purchased from an oriental market in Munich, Germany. The fruits are available from specialty markets or those featuring Asian cuisine.

Our Mystery Plant has beautiful compound leaves, each featuring several pairs of dark green, shiny leaflets. It has also enjoyed popularity as a medicinal plant. When it blooms, it produces a large, branched cluster of flowers. Each flower eventually produces a yellowish, round fruit. Peel off the rough skin and you will see a translucent, whitish pulp, surrounding a prominent, shiny black seed. The presence of an outer peel, an inner pulp, and a single seed makes this fruit a good botanical "drupe," and thus architecturally similar to a cherry, peach or avocado. The pulp is full of vitamins, antioxidants and all manner of other good things and may be eaten raw or variously rendered into a number of refreshing beverages or desserts. I've eaten them in their canned form, in syrup. They are delicious. To me, the flavor is a sort of curious banana/lemon blend, and the pulp has a somewhat chewy texture. I imagine that they would do well in salads and seafood dishes, as well.

So if you get the chance, give this unusual fruit a try. You'll find it's not your regular applesauce.

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John Nelson is the curator of the Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the department of biological sciences. As a public service, the herbarium offers free plant identifications. For more information, visit www.herbarium.org or call 803-777-8196.