| Grown on a small bush or tree, this fruit is considered a peach that has a flavor closer to a plum than an actual peach. Native to Australia, the Quandong is a wild bush fruit that is beginning to be raised as a cultivated fruit. Three varieties of Quandong are common to Australia, which include the Desert Quandong, the Bitter Quandong and the Blue Quandong.
The Desert Quandong grows mainly in arid regions providing a fruit that ripens from a pale green to a reddish-orange color. Also known as a the Native Peach, Burn-burn, Katunga or Mangata, this fruit is most often used in making jams, desserts such as pies and puddings, chutneys, and liqueurs. The Bitter Quandong, also known as Ming, grows a fruit that is very similar to the Desert Quandong in appearance but not taste. The Bitter Quandong, as the name implies, is bitter tasting and is typically used when the tart bitter flavor of this fruit is of value. Although referred to as a Quandong, the Blue Quandong, which is also known as a Brush or Silver Quandong as well as a Blue Fig or a Coolan, is actually not related to the same Genus as the Desert or Bitter Quandong. However, the reference to is as a Quandong is due to the fruit it bears which is similar in appearance to the non-related varieties. |
