California

Royal Mandarin

Royal Mandarin is a tangerine and orange cross; also know as the Temple Orange. Loose skin for easy peeling and sweet pulp with a hint of spice. Oranges are often seen on alters and shrines with incense and candles. The orange’s color is bright and they are ascetically pleasing if the offering is one or many.

Strawberry

"Strawberry Fields For-ever." Strawberries are a member of the rose family and like their cousin Rose evoke sentiment. They are after all heart-shaped. The strawberry is very delicate, it must be hand picked and rushed to a cooler. So delicate, a drop of rain could bruise the fruit.

Bosc Pear

The elegant Bosc pear is distinguished by its dark gold skin and cinnamon russeting. These pear's ancestors hail from Belgium and so speak Walloon. To check for ripeness, first greet your pear "Diè wåde, comint vos dalez?". Then gently press the stem end, a slight yield means it's ripe. Slice or eat in the hand and bid "Arvèy".

Kumquat

The kumquat is both sweet and tart and that in order to experience it fully, you have to eat the whole thing. Most people rub it gently between their hands to release the sweet oil in the skin and then pop the entire fruit in their mouth. You'll have to chew vigorously so that the sweet taste (which is in the skin) and the tart taste (which comes from the inner fruit and is the majority of the experience this week) merge and provide you with a full eating experience.

Navel Orange

An orange with an Innie. Navels are aptly named. Native to Brazil they've been cultivated in Riverside CA since the dawn of the citrus boom in the 1870s. Easy to peel and breaks into sections superbly, this orange is practically seedless.

Cara Cara Orange

What looks like a regular orange on the outside may be a Cara Cara once peeled. This normal-looking Californian orange has a pink flesh inside and a refreshing taste that is orange, but with something more.

Kiwi

What fruit has the vitamin C of an orange, the potassium of half a banana, and the fiber of a half-cup of bran flakes? Hint: It's furry. Answer: Kiwi. Enjoy kiwis by peeling or simply cut latitudinally and scoop our green (or yellow) flesh with a spoon.

Cameo Apple

Cameo apples made their first appearance as a little stray seeding in an orchard in the upper left corner of Washington state. Cameos are tart and aromatic with stripy skin. Alfred Hitchcock was the king of cameos, popping onscreen in 39 of his 52 movies. Sure to be the apple everyone is watching for when The FruitGuys box arrives.

Fuji Apple

Bred in Japan in the 1930s, the Fuji was grafted from Virginian apple royalty Rawls Jennet and Iowa’s Red Delicious. Extremely popular in Japan and the USA. About the size of a baseball (yakyuu no booru), this apple is sweet and delicious.

Granny Smith Apple

A firm and crisp green apple. When you think of the traditional tart apple, Granny Smith is it. Refreshing and a wonderful compliment to cheese.

Haas Avocado

The Resplendent Quetzal bird has vibrant color and 3 foot long train. Its domain is the Cloud Forests and it sups on avocados. Slice open an avocado, knock out the pit and scoop up the velvety flesh and let this fruit take you from the office and into an exotic jungle.

Banana

Here at the FruitGuys, we like to dress up like bananas, because we love bananas! A perfect food, only 110 calories, 4g fiber and 1g of protein and high in potassium and Vitamin C. We love the elegant and easy-to-open packaging. Plus you can use a banana to make silly phone calls.

Bartlett Pear

The dear Bartlett pear was originated in Berkshire England by a schoolmaster named Stair. He sold his cuttings to a horticulturist called Williams, who gave this new pear his name. When the pear immigrated to the New World, a nurseryman called Bartlett laid claim to the fruit. So English folk may know this pear as Williams, and Americans as Bartlett. And they say “paaahr”, and we say “pear.”

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