Quenepas are about the size of a ping pong ball. Protected by rough, green skin on the outside, their innards consist of sweet, soft pulp around a hard pit. Also known as mamoncillo, escanjocote, and guaya, they grow in bunches and hail from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
Rambutans are similar, but the outside has hairy spines and leathery skin. Plus, most are reddish, but they come in orange and yellow hues as well. The inside fruit is sweet, mildly acidic, and pinkish white. Rambutans are native to the Malaysia-Indonesia region.
That brings us to Tamarind, which is indigenous to tropical Africa. The tree produces pods with edible, tangy pulp covered by a brown, bark-like skin.
Let your tastebuds inspire your literary talent during a Sensory Writing Workshop at Sunnyside Arts on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 7 pm.
Tiffany X Yun, a writer, editor, and college essay coach, will lead the interactive, 90-minute class, using the three fruits as primers for writing prompts.
Taste. Write. Repeat.
Located at 45-18 Skillman Ave., Sunnyside Arts sells arts supplies and gifts, while also hosting classes, exhibitions, and events and even serving as an incubator for local talent.
Upcoming classes center on such crafts as figure drawing, block printing, watercolor, oil painting, crochet, and collage.
“We strive to support our community through grassroots advocacy and special events that showcase artists working in all media,” the website states. “Our goal is to advocate for the arts, expand the aesthetic discourse and provide the tools for free expression.”
Editor’s note: On Nov. 14, Yun might have to use different kinds of fruit, depending on availability.
Image: Tiffany X Yun