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Exotic Fruits

Exotic Fruits

Flower of the passion fruit

A walk through Shmuel Landau's fields reveals a world of fruits not usually seen together in the same garden. With names like babako, wampi, black saporta - the fruits not only sound strange, they look like props in a sci-fi film set. Exotic fruits have become a passion for Shmuel since he began to explore this extraordinary field eleven years ago. Inside the Landau family farmhouse, baskets of oddly-shaped fruits adorned the tabletops. Cool passion fruit nectar and strangely-shaped, but delicious, fruit slices were served in the large country kitchen.

Landau's agricultural interest lies in experimenting with organic growing techniques to raise tropical, sub-tropical and unusual fruits in Israel. He works along with scientists from the country's major institutions to perfect the growing conditions and techniques that will eventually allow the fruit to be grown commerically in Israel. Once he has achieved that goal, he steps aside and allows growers with commercial interests to bring the fruits to market. He then becomes an advisor and grapples with the most difficult question of all: how to convince the Israeli consumer that this or another strange looking fruit is delicious. The big question that Israelis need answered before they will consider the fruit is, what does it taste like? And since these fruits often have foreign tastes and textures, the question is a stumbler.

Flower of the passion fruit

Shmuel's large garden is a showplace for a preview of fruits before they hit the Israeli market - although some will never be seen commercially. Landau welcomes visitors to his garden. Among the fruits you may be offered to taste is the loquma. Originally from Chile, loquma has a thin green skin and chocolate-colored flesh. The light green skin of black saporta, which is from the persimmon family, ripens after picking. Pitaya, a type of cactus, and longan, related to the lychee fruit, grow side by side. Pawpaw from North America is Landau's newest venture. This fruit, however, will be grown for medicinal purposes.

Previously unknown in Israel, passion fruit is an example of a fruit that was considered exotic until it was accepted by the Israeli market only a few years ago.

We tasted a persimmon with a green skin and black succulent interior fruit. It tasted like ... well, you'd better go and try for yourself - we wouldn't want to ruin your personal discovery!

Location: Moshav Ben-Ami. Route 89, west of Nahariyya, between Route 4 and Route 70. Enter the moshav and continue straight to the end, make a right, and then first left. A sign for Shmuel Landau will appear on the right side of the road.

Tel: 050-461981
By appointment only.

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