Photo: Anete Lusina

What is naranjilla used for?

The fruit may be used for preserves, wine, sauces, and sherbets. One popular method of using the naranjilla is in pies and other baked goods, where it is often mixed with bananas. The plant is used as an ornamental, particularly in northern areas where the naranjilla often fails to bear fruit.

aihd.ku.edu - Naranjilla - American Indian Health and Diet Project

What are 2 disorders that affect the adrenal glands?

What are adrenal gland disorders? Addison's Disease - a condition in which the adrenal glands don't make enough cortisol. Cushing's Syndrome - a...

Last updated Apr 24, 2021

Can detoxing start your period?

While on the Cleanse, a woman may get her period early or late, with or without PMS symptoms. Her flow may be lighter or heavier, shorter or...

Last updated May 21, 2018

Strange purple cocktail removes 2.7lbs every 4 days

This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.

Learn More »

Promotion

Foods Indigenous to the Western Hemisphere

Naranjilla

Solanum quitoense

Also known as the lulo, lulum

By Scott Sheu

With a name that means “little orange” in Spanish, the naranjilla is a diminutive fruit that packs a big punch. Despite its name and color, the misleading fruit is not of the citrus family, but is related to the eggplant and tomato.

Origin and Distribution

The origin of the naranjilla is not clear, but believed to be indigenous to the mountainous regions of Colombia and Ecuador, where it was first recorded in the 17th century (Morton; Heiser). It is known in Colombia as the “lulo,” as reflective of the Incan name “lulum.” It is believed that the Incas enjoyed the juice of the naranjilla fruit. Since then, cultivation has slowly spread through South and Central America to place such as Peru, Panama, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. Due to difficulties in cultivation, the plant has not been successfully introduced elsewhere in the world. Though the fruit and its juice were introduced with great popular acclaim at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, its delicate nature and failure to bear fruit outside of South America has prevented the naranjilla from becoming a widespread fruit. Efforts to can and preserve the pulp have been pursued by companies such as Campbell’s Soup, but have failed or been dismissed because of their inferior flavor (Heiser).

Botanical Description

The naranjilla is an attractive semi-tropical shrub that is usually found at elevations of 3,000 to 8,000 feet high. It can grow up to 8 feet high with large leaves that can grow up to 2 feet long. When young, it is softly covered with fine purple hairs and sometimes has large thorns. The plant has a thick stem that is usually spiny in the wild, but spineless when cultivated (Morton). The fragrant flowers of the naranjilla have five white petals on the top with large yellow stamen, with purple petals on the bottom. The plant is particularly susceptible to nematodes. The round naranjilla fruit grows to 2.5 inches and has a smooth, leathery peel that resembles a small orange when ripe. Until it reaches ripeness, the fruit is covered in thick brown hairs, which gives it a slight resemblance to a kiwi fruit. The hair can then be easily rubbed off when the fruit has properly ripened. The flesh of the naranjilla is light yellow-orange with a large ring of juicy green pulp and small, thin seeds.

How do you become a fat burner?

So here are the simple steps to becoming a fat-burning machine: CUT OUT Grains. CUT OUT Sugar. LIMIT starchy vegetables (like sweet potatoes and...

Last updated Apr 26, 2021

When should fruits not be eaten?

Myth 5: You shouldn't eat fruit after 2:00 p.m. The idea is that eating fruit (or any carbs) after 2 p.m. raises your blood sugar, which your body...

Last updated May 27, 2020

Tasty juice “eats through” 54lbs of thick flab

This effective juice jolts the metabolism, boosts energy and burns fat all day.

Learn More »

Promotion

Culinary Usage

The taste of naranjilla pulp is citrusy, said to resemble a cross between a pineapple and a lemon, and is popularly used in South and Central America (Davidson). The fruit is usually consumed as a fresh, green-colored juice by adding sugar and water to the pulp and then lightly blending it to produce a light foam. The juice can also be found frozen. The naranjilla fruit is also eaten fresh, usually by cutting it in half and squeezing the pulp out (Morton). The fruit may be used for preserves, wine, sauces, and sherbets. One popular method of using the naranjilla is in pies and other baked goods, where it is often mixed with bananas. The plant is used as an ornamental, particularly in northern areas where the naranjilla often fails to bear fruit.

http://trio.missouristate.edu/assets/SSS/Trip_to_St_Louis_011.JPG

http://www.tropicalfruitandveg.co.uk/images/naranfruit.jpg

http://www.fruitlovers.com/Naranjilla4Web2.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Lulo.jpg

Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: Oxford UniversityPress,1999.

Heiser Jr., Charles B. “Ethnobotany of the Naranjilla (Solanum quitoense) and its Relatives.” Economic Botany, Vol. 39, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1985), pp. 4-11. Web. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4254703 Heiser Jr., Charles B. Of Plants and People. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1992. Morton, Julia. "Naranjilla." Fruits of Warm Climates. Miami: Florida Flair Books, 1987. Web. http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/index.html. National Research Council (NRC). Advisory Committee on Technology Innovation. Lost crops of the Incas : little-known plants of the Andes with promise for worldwide cultivation. Washington D.C.: National Academy, 1989. Print.

aihd.ku.edu - Naranjilla - American Indian Health and Diet Project

What are the benefits of not Nutting?

Possible benefits of not ejaculating It may lead to a more intense orgasm. There is a belief that not ejaculating for a period of time may allow...

Last updated Dec 7, 2018

Do you gain weight back after detox?

A cleanse or fast may help you lose weight initially. “Any time you eliminate certain factors from your diet you're likely to lose weight in the...

Last updated Mar 1, 2020

Tasty breakfast juice melts 59lbs of wobbly fat

A scrumptious morning smoothy based on the diets of among the healthiest, longest-living hamlet in the world.

Learn More »

Promotion

What is God's fruit?

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…” – Galatians 5:22-23. Those...

Last updated Aug 21, 2021

Purple weed obliterates 72lbs of flab

The main ingredient for a potent powdered supplement, based on the diets of among the healthiest, longest-living hamlet in the world.

Learn More »

Promotion

Which is healthier oatmeal or scrambled eggs?

Eggs = Less Calories So, eggs have an advantage over oatmeal if you are planning to cut on your calorie intake and shed those extra kilos. Eggs...

Last updated Feb 17, 2019