Water apples

First things first: It is Water Apple, not Wax Apple!

蓮霧LianWu has many different names in English, e.g., love fruit, wax apple, bell fruit, rose apple, and water apple. In Taiwan, the term "wax apple" seems to fully occupy the web literature, apparently the posters never realize that "wax" can be a bit unappetizing, as natural wax, such as carnauba or shellac, is often applied to the surface of apples for preservation during shipment, and these are called "waxed" apples. In contrast, "water apple" accurately describes the fruit, the waxy looking exterior is  really irrelevant. The poetic Chinese name of 蓮霧lotus mist also originated in Malay [from "jambu"]; Malay Peninsula was where water apples, called "Jambu Air or 水蓊water guava" came from. The proper name in Chinese should be 蒲桃 [also the ancient name of Java], discarded because it pronounced the same as the grapes. In all cases, water is in the name, never wax.

A common sight in wet markets.

In Taiwan, water apples come in 3 major colors, pink, dark red, and pale green:

Various lines developed by Kaohsiung (KS) Agricultural Extension Station

It is generally agreed that the Dutch had brought water apples into Taiwan from Java in the 17th century. No disputes here. In 2006, the cultivation acreage was 7,030 hectares (down from a peak of 10,502 in 1987), mainly in Pintung (5,715 hectares). The pink Nanyang variety still dominates (70%), other colors with various shapes and sizes are from recent R&D efforts of the horticultural experts in Taiwan. They have bred strains imported from SE Asia with that grown natively in Taiwan. Among them, the most successful were the "Black" series, i.e., Black Diamond and Black Kingkong. These were derived from the Black Pearl, discovered in 1967 by accident. When fish farmers in 林邊鄉LinBian Village in Pintung re-appropriated their land rich in extra-salty ground water for agricultural use, they found that the pink strain bore ultra-delicious dark red fruits. These Black-series water apples are priced higher than the more common pink strain. And in 2000, Thub Thim Chan (or Thong Sam Se, i.e., Red Gem紅寶石) from Thailand was also re-planted successfully in Taiwan. Because of the large size, juicy content and enticing color, this fruit is becoming popular now.

Not only the fruit, the flower of water apple is a sight to behold:

A water apple flower

And the secret of water apple is the combination of its spongy inner core with the crunchy fleshy outer shell:

A magnified view of the inner core which retains moisture

Of course, the rich water content also shortens the shelf life of water apples. Luckily, fresh water apples are now available year round thanks to the breeding successes.