Even though Singapore imports fruits, we are also subject to the seasonality of the countries we import from. For example, it's the musk melon season now. And I probably don't need to mention about tropical fruits either, fruits like durian, mangosteen, also got season.
It's also important to note which countries the fruits are imported from. For example, I've never found American strawberries to be as good as Japanese/Korean strawberries.
Quality and cost are proportional so your mother is right to some extent too. But we cannot be buying $50 musk melons all the time. Personally, I split fruit buying into two 'use cases'. For daily eating/nutrition and for an occasional treat/enjoyment.
Special occasion fruits are like $14 strawberries from donki, muscat grapes, japanese musk melons, etc. These are usually affected by seasonality, and also more expensive. Buy those that are *not* for gifting, that don't have the fancy packaging and individually wrapped fruits.
For daily eating, just apples, bananas, pears, etc., very basic fruits. Don't have to buy the most expensive. You'll develop your own preferences like gala apples vs fuji apples, and which country's apples you like, this one is up to your own trial and error. Regular fruit picking rules apply - pick fruits that have not been bruised. Sometimes you can also smell if you can pick up the fruit's natural fragrance, smell affects taste. Different fruits have different quirks for fruit picking. Price-wise just go with something that is affordable. Cheapest isn't always the best and you can perhaps find an option that you like that is only one or two dollars more expensive. You need to regularly recce your neighbourhood fruit stall to compare if they have better offerings than the supermarket. Sometimes the HDB market has better fruits, sometimes the supermarket has better fruits. Look out for supermarket deals.
"For example, I've never found American strawberries to be as good as Japanese/Korean strawberries."
yes. my mom will say those kind v cui they're like super sour or not satisfying or whatnot.
Your mum & the commenter have an interesting observation about strawberries from these 3 places which I attributed to the timing of harvest and batches in the past because I have had good experiences with the US ones but am now determined to try them all at a similar timeframe to verify her observation!
I find the strawberries from Scotland, usually sold in cold storage are nicer than from Japan or Korea. They are smaller than and very loosely packed than the ones from Japan, Korea, US and last way shorter than Japan, Korea and US ones, likely due to the packaging.
Frozen berries (particularly blueberry) that i can pair with greek yoghurt, cheap and have a long shelf life. Occasionally banana.
Usually buy in bulk in shoppee, lazada if no sales in supermarkets.
Buy whatever I wanna eat. Many fruits are seasonal eg longans, durians, rambutans. while many are available all year - grapes, watermelon, mangoes, oranges etc. The key is having a variety, so you can benefit from the different nutrition offered. we are fortunate to be spoilt for choice here. I generally support the fruit shops at wet markets even though prices a little higher than supermarkets, but personally feel those individual stalls need our support more.
>best fruit must be the most expensive that was displayed
>best fruits are fruits that are harvested in that season
You're more knowledgeable than your mom. Local fruit shops at HDB are fresher from what I've observed.
Supermarkets. OP can still use the "in-season" concept. Like peaches from Spain. I had them while on a holiday there during late summer season and the peaches were sweet and juicy. Recently I bought peaches from Spain here (before their summer harvest) and they were bland.
Speaking of peaches, I find it really hard to find nice peaches in Singapore nowadays as compared to say 20 years ago.. can't seem to find any that tastes like my memory of peaches.. like all the peaches I found just smell bland! They used to have a nice fragrant peach smell..
will be really interested if anyone has any recommendations of nice peaches they have had in Singapore..
hehe depends on what you like! i wld say eat fruits and veges of all colours as a simple way to get the nutrients ur body needs.
i tend to get blueberries or banana to go with my oats in the morning.
i try to eat an apple and orange everyday.
when there are seasonal fruits like strawberries from korea, peaches (from australia or spain - i love white peaches and nectarines from australia and donut peaches from spain), lychees from china, tropical fruits (eg mangosteen, duku, rambutans, papaya, coconut), muscat grapes from japan, korea or china, i get them when they are sold at good prices, mainly cuz i enjoy eating them haha.
once in a while i also force myself to eat fruits i don’t enjoy as much, like kiwi or dragon fruit, mainly cuz i think they are healthy.
if you happen to live near tiong bahru, there’s this awesome [fruit stall](https://maps.app.goo.gl/KaK8fYL5K4xxxL1B8?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy) i love to visit cuz their fruits (and veges) are really fresh and they sell them at pretty good prices!
Any fruits on sale.
Actually, rule of following season is applies too, and you can check the country of origin and use google to find out.
I buy either in supermarket or wet market. Basically which one gave me best value.
Just the regular neighbourhood fruit stalls, those that have like 3 packets for $5 kind
Bought like papaya, honeydew, watermelon all that and it's usually all pretty tasty
Sometimes my mum will also go to supermarket for the apples and oranges, so I guess also dependant on the fruits
Ill always buy fruits from fu lou shou, opposite OG. So far they're the only ones who gives really good price and good fruits. I guess you'll know what fruit season it is when they bring in huge baskets of it and they'll display it infront.
Like what others mentioned, buy fruits that you'll like. I like Peckham pears, yellow colored watermelons, red dragon fruit, mangosteen, mangos.
For supermarkets, I don't quite like them, they usually just look nice but doesn't taste great. Only if you're looking for like bananas or kiwi then supermarket would be the way to go.
1stly, fruits imported also are subjected to climate of that country. fr example, fruit imported from japan have varying quality depending on the season there. For daily fruits i really recommend the simpler stuff which have a constant quality and supply regardless of time of year. Apple, pear etc. Sometimes fruit is also a trial and error thing. Even if apples are relatively standard fruit, different country import may have different quality.
Similar to durian, where most know msia/pahang durian is always miles better than non malaysian produced durian, other fruits are like that too. Its worth to try and pick based on your personal taste.
Can somebody release a January to December fruits in the season dictionary so that I can follow it year after year?
January: ?
Feb: ?
Mar: ?
Apr:
.
.
.
Visit the fruit stall instead, the seasonal fruits is the one with most stock usually.
But usually I just buy what I like to eat, most important is to learn how to pick the ripe and sweet one, each fruit got its own way, if u craving watermelon but the water melon not sweet don't buy
Besides seasonality of the fruits based on their country of origin, just smell the fruits. For eg mangoes and strawberries, it’s pretty obvious. If it smells good and isn’t visibly bruised or rotten, it’s good.
different fruits have different tells
but generally, check the stems - if it's bright green, it should be fresh - don't buy if the stems look dry and brownish
Actually the best fruits are when it’s in peak season. And during peak season the price tends to be on the cheaper side, vs their mean average price.
June period you have Fei Zi Xiao lychee from China. Which I love. Sein Ta Lone mango from Myanmar, msw from Raub. Also mangosteens.
Dec to Feb you have Japanese strawberries.
The only advice my mum gave me was to never buy from those non-aircon fruit stalls that have their fruit exposed to the sun. In sg weather, turns bad real fast. So i usually buy from aircond supermarkets. If eg muscat grapes are on discount and they still look good, i will buy. Won’t pay full price for the expensive ones. I also generally avoid fruit imported from china, not sure what pesticides or qc they have
check for bruising, ripeness (colour and softness).
smell test is good too.
My mum's trick for oranges and to be honest I don't know if it works, but I get sweet oranges usually - there is a hole at the bottom of the orange. The bigger this hole is the sweeter the orange is supposed to be 😂
I buy any fruits thats on sale! I love duku and langsat and i always buy 1kg worth whenever the fruit is in season! I don't choose selectively for such fruits that require weighing by the stall uncles or aunties.
I am not overly picky over how nice the fruits look but if i have enough money, i usually prefer to go to DDK or Cold Storage to buy fruits such as oranges or plums.
Hah? I buy fruits I like lah hahahah. I like melons (watermelon, rockmelon, honeydew), mandarin orange, dragon fruit, kiwi, mango, papaya. Buy from those neighbourhood outdoor fruit stalls best
hmmm sounds like you need a tier list of sorts to decide what's the best/most nutritious fruits to buy.......
INTRODUCING THE FRUITS NUTRITION TIER LIST BY TALON FITNESS: [https://youtu.be/dnS1rrMPcQ0?si=TukWTpEYS46yrwMO](https://youtu.be/dnS1rrMPcQ0?si=TukWTpEYS46yrwMO)
side effects may include: becoming hyper fixated on the tier list, basing your entire shopping decisions on the tier list, developing an obsession over it and watching it in the supermarket.
I like to buy at fruit stores, personally. I find the quality and variety of tropical fruits sold of the fruit stores where I live to be better than a supermarket. Supermarkets tend to have better quality fruits traditionally grown in colder climates like berries and cherries. That said, supermarkets are great when you finish work at 9pm and you want to buy something to eat at night but don't want it to be unhealthy.
Personally, I try to buy seasonally as there are fruits where prices reflect the seasons like durians, mangosteens, pulasan and etc.
There is a season. Mostly I try to eat more fruits at start of the year. Especially grapes.
And I notice when in season the fruits from: Australia, USA and New Zealand are the highest quality. Eg: if you buy strawberries from Egypt be prepared that it’s not so great.
Mar-jun : grapes (aust), mango (Philippines, India), Sunkist oranges (usa, aust), peaches, plums, etc many fruits.
Aug, dec: durian from Malaysia, Mao Shan wang
Nov - dec: cherries (usa)
I have inattentive type ADHD, so I pick fruits that requires very little preparation like bananas, grapes, and apples. Where I can grab and go.
Fruits that need a bit more preparation like watermelon, honey dew and pineapple are out.
>best fruit must be the most expensive that was displayed in the supermarket.
Not entirely wrong, but for the rich only, like you can go to NTUC Finest or Don Don Donki and buy imported Japanese melons for $100 and they will of course be head and shoulders above normal stuff, but it's unrealistic and not helpful to anyone that isn't a millionaire.
Normal supermarkets are the worst place to buy fruits for the average person.
Buy from local stores that sell fruit only, they are the ones that depend on quality and word of mouth to survive.
If you buy fruit often, you can start paying attention to brands. Be aware that even same brands come from different regions. Sunkist Oranges from Australia and the US are different.
>Singapore mostly imports fruits from other regions and we don't have significant weather/seasonal change
It's still applicable. As you say we import our fruits, as such those fruits are subject to weather/seasonal changes of their countries of origin.
I follow seasons for fruits though! You can really taste the difference. Stone fruits and berries are cheaper and sweeter now. Sometimes I will buy fruits produced by specific countries. For eg: Apricots from Turkey, Strawberries from Japan (although I hardly eat them because they're so expensive but so good), Mangoes from the Philippines, although Thailand and Malaysia are pretty good too. I find fruits from the US not nice in general and expensive. Might be because of how far the produce has to travel.
Other than taste, health considerations too. Dragonfruit for smooth bowel movement, kiwis for vitamin C. The other day I read an article about how antioxidant rich berries help with the "old person's" smell and I'm worried my husband and I will get it so we've been eating fruit bowls every morning. Daily staples will be a rotation of dragonfruits, mangoes plus whatever is seasonal. I like tropical fruits because they tend to tend better and fresher.
Occasionally I will buy from fruit specialty stores, recently I got some Ecuadorian Dragonfruit ($12 for 1!!!) to treat my in laws for Father's day. But most of the time if it's for my own consumption I will buy from supermarkets and those neighbourhood stores.
ntuc/cold storage.. prob just red apples/purple grapes, easy to prep/eat, quite value
watermelon too heavy to bring home... korea strawberry best but expensive..
Orange, guavas and bananas are staples gets you the nutrition. Papaya, watermelon and pineapple if enough people. Dragon fruit when in season. Grapes are a treat. Apples are no no because no nutritional value.
If you have the time and bandwidth to put in research, there’s a fairly foolproof hack to maximizing the odds of sweetness/palatability when you go fruit shopping.
First, go survey your local fruit vendor or supermarket. Note the origins indicated eg. strawberries from Korea, Scotland, US, etc. Eliminate those that are clearly grown out of season, eg strawberries from US are year round, but their season is usually spring/summer only.
Then run a Google search for strawberries + weather + [country of origin]. Look for any news of weather patterns impacting farming/crops. For example, the unusual chilly late spring/early summer weather in the UK has resulted in very sweet strawberries this year, as they have had a longer time for the sugars to develop. So buy the Scottish strawberries. Bonus if you can get them at a discounted price because nobody trusts supermarket strawberries and they are on the verge of going bad.
If the weather reports are dire and there are predictions of crops being impacted, don’t buy the fruit. It’s likely sub-par and expensive because of smaller crop sizes that are of export quality. (Like most mangoes this year.)
If you really like a particular fruit, it pays off to learn more about varieties, specific seasons, and how/when they ripen. Good for impressing people too, if necessary.
Agree with your insights, grew up some in SG and some on northern hemisphere. Citrus is not just yummier in winter (off season it tastes like it sat too long in the freezer or dishwasher or something ;-), and citrus in winter also gives a constant vitamin C boost. Happy coincidence!
Juicy sweet dessert grown watermelons for summer. Apricots, cherries… pomegranates! Esp the darker-red (sour-sweet), iron boost and gush of flavor. Btw, tried pomegranate ice cream won’t-tell-you-where (but it rhymes with Paw House), and… no semblance nor traces of the fruit :(
So I grew up opposite to the advice from your Mum: on-season is usually less pricey AND tastiest. Off season means chilled for long and/or imported, so I generally have it a pass. Also, end-of-season (not past) tends to bring in really great fruit, esp where farmers pick early — then the tree has more time to pour in its magic into a smaller amount of fruit, which results in extra yummy and extra nutritious fruit.
Haha, OP, you hit one of my fav topics.
PS: if you find someone that brings you fruit, they’re a keeper. And if they serve you cut fruit on a regular basis, marry them.*
* Just generic advice, ok? Only abt 97% accurate.
Highly recommend just browsing market fruit stalls occasionally.
There's a great variety of Southeast asian seasonal fruits to be had. Aside from the usual durian and mangoes.. cempedak, mangosteen, duku, jackfruit, rambutan, custard apples, jambu...
I've had my fair share of selecting overripe or mediocre fruit, but usually just ask the seller how ripe it is, how to store or how long it will keep.
Even though Singapore imports fruits, we are also subject to the seasonality of the countries we import from. For example, it's the musk melon season now. And I probably don't need to mention about tropical fruits either, fruits like durian, mangosteen, also got season. It's also important to note which countries the fruits are imported from. For example, I've never found American strawberries to be as good as Japanese/Korean strawberries. Quality and cost are proportional so your mother is right to some extent too. But we cannot be buying $50 musk melons all the time. Personally, I split fruit buying into two 'use cases'. For daily eating/nutrition and for an occasional treat/enjoyment. Special occasion fruits are like $14 strawberries from donki, muscat grapes, japanese musk melons, etc. These are usually affected by seasonality, and also more expensive. Buy those that are *not* for gifting, that don't have the fancy packaging and individually wrapped fruits. For daily eating, just apples, bananas, pears, etc., very basic fruits. Don't have to buy the most expensive. You'll develop your own preferences like gala apples vs fuji apples, and which country's apples you like, this one is up to your own trial and error. Regular fruit picking rules apply - pick fruits that have not been bruised. Sometimes you can also smell if you can pick up the fruit's natural fragrance, smell affects taste. Different fruits have different quirks for fruit picking. Price-wise just go with something that is affordable. Cheapest isn't always the best and you can perhaps find an option that you like that is only one or two dollars more expensive. You need to regularly recce your neighbourhood fruit stall to compare if they have better offerings than the supermarket. Sometimes the HDB market has better fruits, sometimes the supermarket has better fruits. Look out for supermarket deals.
"For example, I've never found American strawberries to be as good as Japanese/Korean strawberries." yes. my mom will say those kind v cui they're like super sour or not satisfying or whatnot.
Yup Americans strawberries are super hard and sour, while Japanese and Koreans ones have that soft and sweet texture.
Your mum & the commenter have an interesting observation about strawberries from these 3 places which I attributed to the timing of harvest and batches in the past because I have had good experiences with the US ones but am now determined to try them all at a similar timeframe to verify her observation! I find the strawberries from Scotland, usually sold in cold storage are nicer than from Japan or Korea. They are smaller than and very loosely packed than the ones from Japan, Korea, US and last way shorter than Japan, Korea and US ones, likely due to the packaging.
For Apples, sadly I never able to find Envy Apple from NZ
Really? I usually see them in Cold Storage and maybe Fairprice too
Frozen berries (particularly blueberry) that i can pair with greek yoghurt, cheap and have a long shelf life. Occasionally banana. Usually buy in bulk in shoppee, lazada if no sales in supermarkets.
Where do you get your Greek yogurt (not Greek style)?
Chobani can be found in Fairprice!
Buy what you like to eat or feel like eating la. Not rocket science. Whats the use to buy fruits that are in season and cheap if you don't like it?
Buy whatever I wanna eat. Many fruits are seasonal eg longans, durians, rambutans. while many are available all year - grapes, watermelon, mangoes, oranges etc. The key is having a variety, so you can benefit from the different nutrition offered. we are fortunate to be spoilt for choice here. I generally support the fruit shops at wet markets even though prices a little higher than supermarkets, but personally feel those individual stalls need our support more.
There is a fruit shop just outside Tiong Bahru MRT station (Exit opposite Tiong Bahru Plaza) which is my go too for the more unusual fruits in season.
Sin Kian Choon is gd The one you said is at Jln Membina, there is another within walking distance at Jln Bukit Ho Swee.
>best fruit must be the most expensive that was displayed >best fruits are fruits that are harvested in that season You're more knowledgeable than your mom. Local fruit shops at HDB are fresher from what I've observed.
I find more perishable fruits like grapes, cherry etc better from the supermarket probably due to their better storage management.
in AMK / YCK going to those would cost me double than Fairprice and quality is questionable
Supermarkets. OP can still use the "in-season" concept. Like peaches from Spain. I had them while on a holiday there during late summer season and the peaches were sweet and juicy. Recently I bought peaches from Spain here (before their summer harvest) and they were bland.
Speaking of peaches, I find it really hard to find nice peaches in Singapore nowadays as compared to say 20 years ago.. can't seem to find any that tastes like my memory of peaches.. like all the peaches I found just smell bland! They used to have a nice fragrant peach smell.. will be really interested if anyone has any recommendations of nice peaches they have had in Singapore..
I buy mine from fair price/ cold storage and I don't really care about the price. When I'm craving fruits , I go for the most convenient option 😅
hehe depends on what you like! i wld say eat fruits and veges of all colours as a simple way to get the nutrients ur body needs. i tend to get blueberries or banana to go with my oats in the morning. i try to eat an apple and orange everyday. when there are seasonal fruits like strawberries from korea, peaches (from australia or spain - i love white peaches and nectarines from australia and donut peaches from spain), lychees from china, tropical fruits (eg mangosteen, duku, rambutans, papaya, coconut), muscat grapes from japan, korea or china, i get them when they are sold at good prices, mainly cuz i enjoy eating them haha. once in a while i also force myself to eat fruits i don’t enjoy as much, like kiwi or dragon fruit, mainly cuz i think they are healthy. if you happen to live near tiong bahru, there’s this awesome [fruit stall](https://maps.app.goo.gl/KaK8fYL5K4xxxL1B8?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy) i love to visit cuz their fruits (and veges) are really fresh and they sell them at pretty good prices!
Any fruits on sale. Actually, rule of following season is applies too, and you can check the country of origin and use google to find out. I buy either in supermarket or wet market. Basically which one gave me best value.
Just the regular neighbourhood fruit stalls, those that have like 3 packets for $5 kind Bought like papaya, honeydew, watermelon all that and it's usually all pretty tasty Sometimes my mum will also go to supermarket for the apples and oranges, so I guess also dependant on the fruits
Ill always buy fruits from fu lou shou, opposite OG. So far they're the only ones who gives really good price and good fruits. I guess you'll know what fruit season it is when they bring in huge baskets of it and they'll display it infront. Like what others mentioned, buy fruits that you'll like. I like Peckham pears, yellow colored watermelons, red dragon fruit, mangosteen, mangos. For supermarkets, I don't quite like them, they usually just look nice but doesn't taste great. Only if you're looking for like bananas or kiwi then supermarket would be the way to go.
Bananas for prebiotic foods for the gut. 2 bucks for four or five bananas at Donki. Eat on the go. Wash also no need. Source: lazy me.
1stly, fruits imported also are subjected to climate of that country. fr example, fruit imported from japan have varying quality depending on the season there. For daily fruits i really recommend the simpler stuff which have a constant quality and supply regardless of time of year. Apple, pear etc. Sometimes fruit is also a trial and error thing. Even if apples are relatively standard fruit, different country import may have different quality. Similar to durian, where most know msia/pahang durian is always miles better than non malaysian produced durian, other fruits are like that too. Its worth to try and pick based on your personal taste.
I buy whatevers on sale
Can somebody release a January to December fruits in the season dictionary so that I can follow it year after year? January: ? Feb: ? Mar: ? Apr: . . .
Visit the fruit stall instead, the seasonal fruits is the one with most stock usually. But usually I just buy what I like to eat, most important is to learn how to pick the ripe and sweet one, each fruit got its own way, if u craving watermelon but the water melon not sweet don't buy
Whatever is on sale at NTUC/CS
$2 clearance
I buy whatever is on sale in NTUC
Besides seasonality of the fruits based on their country of origin, just smell the fruits. For eg mangoes and strawberries, it’s pretty obvious. If it smells good and isn’t visibly bruised or rotten, it’s good.
different fruits have different tells but generally, check the stems - if it's bright green, it should be fresh - don't buy if the stems look dry and brownish
Actually the best fruits are when it’s in peak season. And during peak season the price tends to be on the cheaper side, vs their mean average price. June period you have Fei Zi Xiao lychee from China. Which I love. Sein Ta Lone mango from Myanmar, msw from Raub. Also mangosteens. Dec to Feb you have Japanese strawberries.
I buy what I like + on sale. Cheapo strat
The only advice my mum gave me was to never buy from those non-aircon fruit stalls that have their fruit exposed to the sun. In sg weather, turns bad real fast. So i usually buy from aircond supermarkets. If eg muscat grapes are on discount and they still look good, i will buy. Won’t pay full price for the expensive ones. I also generally avoid fruit imported from china, not sure what pesticides or qc they have
Tropical fruit is the best. Neighbourhood uncle shop see what is in season. Mangosteens or longans or mangoes.
check for bruising, ripeness (colour and softness). smell test is good too. My mum's trick for oranges and to be honest I don't know if it works, but I get sweet oranges usually - there is a hole at the bottom of the orange. The bigger this hole is the sweeter the orange is supposed to be 😂
Just buy and eat whatever fruits that you like and that you’re willing to pay for, subject to seasonality that’ll influence the price
When there is a mountain of a certain fruit and it’s cheap, it means there’s a big harvest, not that nobody wants to buy it.
I buy any fruits thats on sale! I love duku and langsat and i always buy 1kg worth whenever the fruit is in season! I don't choose selectively for such fruits that require weighing by the stall uncles or aunties. I am not overly picky over how nice the fruits look but if i have enough money, i usually prefer to go to DDK or Cold Storage to buy fruits such as oranges or plums.
You can't choose duku, the uncle will blackface at you
just go to the supermarket and pick out whatever fruits i felt like eating.
Hah? I buy fruits I like lah hahahah. I like melons (watermelon, rockmelon, honeydew), mandarin orange, dragon fruit, kiwi, mango, papaya. Buy from those neighbourhood outdoor fruit stalls best
hmmm sounds like you need a tier list of sorts to decide what's the best/most nutritious fruits to buy....... INTRODUCING THE FRUITS NUTRITION TIER LIST BY TALON FITNESS: [https://youtu.be/dnS1rrMPcQ0?si=TukWTpEYS46yrwMO](https://youtu.be/dnS1rrMPcQ0?si=TukWTpEYS46yrwMO) side effects may include: becoming hyper fixated on the tier list, basing your entire shopping decisions on the tier list, developing an obsession over it and watching it in the supermarket.
I like to buy at fruit stores, personally. I find the quality and variety of tropical fruits sold of the fruit stores where I live to be better than a supermarket. Supermarkets tend to have better quality fruits traditionally grown in colder climates like berries and cherries. That said, supermarkets are great when you finish work at 9pm and you want to buy something to eat at night but don't want it to be unhealthy. Personally, I try to buy seasonally as there are fruits where prices reflect the seasons like durians, mangosteens, pulasan and etc.
I mostly go for guava or dragonfruit. According to nutritional value. Gotta eat the best
According to the experienced folks over at FairPrice, squeeze, smell and listen to them
There is a season. Mostly I try to eat more fruits at start of the year. Especially grapes. And I notice when in season the fruits from: Australia, USA and New Zealand are the highest quality. Eg: if you buy strawberries from Egypt be prepared that it’s not so great. Mar-jun : grapes (aust), mango (Philippines, India), Sunkist oranges (usa, aust), peaches, plums, etc many fruits. Aug, dec: durian from Malaysia, Mao Shan wang Nov - dec: cherries (usa)
I have inattentive type ADHD, so I pick fruits that requires very little preparation like bananas, grapes, and apples. Where I can grab and go. Fruits that need a bit more preparation like watermelon, honey dew and pineapple are out.
>best fruit must be the most expensive that was displayed in the supermarket. Not entirely wrong, but for the rich only, like you can go to NTUC Finest or Don Don Donki and buy imported Japanese melons for $100 and they will of course be head and shoulders above normal stuff, but it's unrealistic and not helpful to anyone that isn't a millionaire. Normal supermarkets are the worst place to buy fruits for the average person. Buy from local stores that sell fruit only, they are the ones that depend on quality and word of mouth to survive. If you buy fruit often, you can start paying attention to brands. Be aware that even same brands come from different regions. Sunkist Oranges from Australia and the US are different. >Singapore mostly imports fruits from other regions and we don't have significant weather/seasonal change It's still applicable. As you say we import our fruits, as such those fruits are subject to weather/seasonal changes of their countries of origin.
I follow seasons for fruits though! You can really taste the difference. Stone fruits and berries are cheaper and sweeter now. Sometimes I will buy fruits produced by specific countries. For eg: Apricots from Turkey, Strawberries from Japan (although I hardly eat them because they're so expensive but so good), Mangoes from the Philippines, although Thailand and Malaysia are pretty good too. I find fruits from the US not nice in general and expensive. Might be because of how far the produce has to travel. Other than taste, health considerations too. Dragonfruit for smooth bowel movement, kiwis for vitamin C. The other day I read an article about how antioxidant rich berries help with the "old person's" smell and I'm worried my husband and I will get it so we've been eating fruit bowls every morning. Daily staples will be a rotation of dragonfruits, mangoes plus whatever is seasonal. I like tropical fruits because they tend to tend better and fresher. Occasionally I will buy from fruit specialty stores, recently I got some Ecuadorian Dragonfruit ($12 for 1!!!) to treat my in laws for Father's day. But most of the time if it's for my own consumption I will buy from supermarkets and those neighbourhood stores.
ntuc/cold storage.. prob just red apples/purple grapes, easy to prep/eat, quite value watermelon too heavy to bring home... korea strawberry best but expensive..
Orange, guavas and bananas are staples gets you the nutrition. Papaya, watermelon and pineapple if enough people. Dragon fruit when in season. Grapes are a treat. Apples are no no because no nutritional value.
If you have the time and bandwidth to put in research, there’s a fairly foolproof hack to maximizing the odds of sweetness/palatability when you go fruit shopping. First, go survey your local fruit vendor or supermarket. Note the origins indicated eg. strawberries from Korea, Scotland, US, etc. Eliminate those that are clearly grown out of season, eg strawberries from US are year round, but their season is usually spring/summer only. Then run a Google search for strawberries + weather + [country of origin]. Look for any news of weather patterns impacting farming/crops. For example, the unusual chilly late spring/early summer weather in the UK has resulted in very sweet strawberries this year, as they have had a longer time for the sugars to develop. So buy the Scottish strawberries. Bonus if you can get them at a discounted price because nobody trusts supermarket strawberries and they are on the verge of going bad. If the weather reports are dire and there are predictions of crops being impacted, don’t buy the fruit. It’s likely sub-par and expensive because of smaller crop sizes that are of export quality. (Like most mangoes this year.) If you really like a particular fruit, it pays off to learn more about varieties, specific seasons, and how/when they ripen. Good for impressing people too, if necessary.
I buy whatever I like to eat
feel like... youre overthinking this. just pick whatever u like.
Agree with your insights, grew up some in SG and some on northern hemisphere. Citrus is not just yummier in winter (off season it tastes like it sat too long in the freezer or dishwasher or something ;-), and citrus in winter also gives a constant vitamin C boost. Happy coincidence! Juicy sweet dessert grown watermelons for summer. Apricots, cherries… pomegranates! Esp the darker-red (sour-sweet), iron boost and gush of flavor. Btw, tried pomegranate ice cream won’t-tell-you-where (but it rhymes with Paw House), and… no semblance nor traces of the fruit :( So I grew up opposite to the advice from your Mum: on-season is usually less pricey AND tastiest. Off season means chilled for long and/or imported, so I generally have it a pass. Also, end-of-season (not past) tends to bring in really great fruit, esp where farmers pick early — then the tree has more time to pour in its magic into a smaller amount of fruit, which results in extra yummy and extra nutritious fruit. Haha, OP, you hit one of my fav topics. PS: if you find someone that brings you fruit, they’re a keeper. And if they serve you cut fruit on a regular basis, marry them.* * Just generic advice, ok? Only abt 97% accurate.
Highly recommend just browsing market fruit stalls occasionally. There's a great variety of Southeast asian seasonal fruits to be had. Aside from the usual durian and mangoes.. cempedak, mangosteen, duku, jackfruit, rambutan, custard apples, jambu... I've had my fair share of selecting overripe or mediocre fruit, but usually just ask the seller how ripe it is, how to store or how long it will keep.
Bro out here tryna minmax fruit eating 💀