Monstera deliciosa - Tastes like banana and pinapple

From EatYourBackyard: In this video I give some advice and my experience growing the monstera plant. It is a real treasure producing my favorite fruit after the mango of course.

Monstera deliciosa, the Fruit Salad Plant, is a species of flowering plant native to tropical rainforests. It has been introduced to many tropical areas, and has become a mildly invasive species in Hawaii.

What is behind the "monster" name?

The specific epithet deliciosa means "delicious", referring to the edible fruit. Common names include Fruit Salad Tree (in reference to its edible leaves and fruits), ceriman, Swiss cheese plant (or just cheese plant), fruit salad plant, monster fruit, monsterio delicio, monstereo, Mexican breadfruit, locust and wild honey, windowleaf, balazo, and Penglai banana. The names in Spanish (costilla de Adán) or Portuguese (costela-de-adão) or French (plante gruyère) refer the change of the leaves from entire to fenestrated (comparing it in the first case with the ribs of Adam and in the second with the hole-filled gruyère cheese).

How to grow?

Wild seedlings grow towards the darkest area they can find until they find a tree trunk, then start to grow up towards the light, creeping up the tree.

Monstera deliciosa is commonly grown for interior decoration in public buildings and as a houseplant. It grows best between the temperatures of 20–30 °C (68–86 °F) and requires high humidity and shade. Growth ceases below 10 °C (50 °F) and it is killed by frost. In the coastal zones of Sicily, especially in the Palermo area, where it is called "zampa di leone" ("lion's paw"), it is often cultivated outdoors. In ideal conditions it flowers about three years after it is planted. The plant can be propagated by taking cuttings of a mature plant or by air layering.

How to eat?

The fruit of Monstera deliciosa is up to 25 cm long and 3–4 cm diameter, looking like a green ear of maize covered with hexagonal scales.

Fruits of plants of the Araceae (Arum family) often contain Raphides and Trichosclereids – needle-like structures of calcium oxalate.

The fruit may be ripened by cutting it when the first scales begin to lift up and it begins to exude a pungent odor. It is wrapped in a paper bag and set aside until the scales begin popping off. The scales are then brushed off or fall away to reveal the edible flesh underneath. The flesh, which is similar to pineapple in texture, can be cut away from the core and eaten. It has a fruity taste similar to jackfruit and pineapple.

The unripe green fruits can irritate the throat and the latex of the leaves and vines can create rashes in the skin, because both contain potassium oxalate: that is the reason why the fruits have to be consumed when the scales lift up.

References:

Monstera deliciosa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://bit.ly/1CfCYoE

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