Dried aromatic spices enhance the natural sweetness of many fruits.
Fruits often remain overlooked when it's time to season a preparation. However, the addition of only a slight amount of coarse salt enhances and augments the flavor of nearly any food, including fruits. In addition to basic kosher or sea salt, seasoning choices vary greatly depending on the type of fruit as well as its acid and sugar content. Many of the spices used in baking and pastry, such as allspice, nutmeg and vanilla bean, work well with many types and styles of fruit.
Exotic Fruits
Fruits such as bananas, mangoes, breadfruit and starfruit are considered exotic. They originate outside the United States and often have tropical or Mediterranean origins. Other fruits that comprise this group include pineapples, papayas and kiwi fruit. Spices that accompany and complement the fleshy qualities of breadfruit and bananas include nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, vanilla bean, ginger, almond extract, marjoram, cloves and star anise. Fibrous, juicy exotic fruits, such as pineapples, papayas and kiwi fruit, respond well to the flavors imparted by cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg and mint.
Citrus Fruits
All citrus fruits have certain qualities in common, such as rind, pulp and acid. Softer seasonings, such as allspice and cinnamon, temper the citric acid on the palate and soften the harshness in the finish. Moderately acidic and sweeter citrus fruits, such as oranges, tangelos, satsumas, pomelos, clementines and tangelos, do well with the addition of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamom and marjoram. Highly acidic and bitter varieties, such as grapefruit, Ugli fruit, lemons and limes, do well with the addition of cinnamon, mint, almond extract, ginger, allspice and cloves.
Tree Fruits
The flesh of tree fruits ranges from fibrous and course to dense and meaty. Cherries and plums pair well with brandy, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, mace, mint, tarragon, cardamom and vanilla bean. Tree fruits with dense flesh, such as apples, quinces and pears take on the flavors of caraway seeds, nutmeg, mace, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, basil, tarragon, mint, almond extract and rum very well.
Berries and Melons
Berries are juicy, fleshy fruits with a thin membrane encasement. Common berry fruits include blueberries, grapes, cranberries, red currants and boysenberries. The flavor of berries ranges from sweet and mildly tart to mildly sweet and very tart. However, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, allspice, star anise, mint, cloves and basil augment their flavor profiles. Commonly used melons in cuisine include cantaloupe, papaya, casaba, honeydew and Crenshaw. Rarer varieties include Persian, derishi, kiwano, Russian and Santa Claus. All varieties respond well to cardamom, ginger, almond extract, mint, tarragon and coriander.
Tags: almond extract, well with, nutmeg allspice, star anise, vanilla bean
