taqsim's Profile
Has anyone used the buddha's hand fruit?
Buddha's Hand Citron is great in creme brulee, too. It has a sweet spiciness (kind of jasmine topnotes and some kind of fruitcake spice undertones) that blends really well -- I use it where I want the brightness of citrus without the overt character of lemon.
Buddha's Hands are notoriously unpredictible in keeping. If you get a fresh one, it might last for two weeks, just sitting out...or, you may come back after two days to find it completely covered in white fuzz. I find it's best to keep them in the fridge, in a container that breathes (brown paper bag, or just sitting out). You can cut off the moldy parts and use the rest, and because most Buddha's Hands have sweet pith, you can use the whole fruit.
Buddha's Hands are extremely frost-sensitive, so while native to China, in the US they are mostly grown in California's Central Valley, near Fresno. Whole Foods is probably able to offer such a great price because they can buy in bulk, for multiple stores. We (I work with Hangar One) purchase them wholesale from farmers for $3 each.
Northern California (Willits, Garberville, Eureka)
It's only an hour from Santa Rosa, but a really great little spot in Ukiah is OcoTime (Japanese). It's at 111 W Church St. There's also an organic brew pub downtown on the corner of State & Perkins—the food is good but pricey, and the local wines are, um, better than the in-house brews, in my opinion. Also, both Ukiah and Willits have really great natural food co-ops. The one in Willits is right on the main street, and there's a green empty lot behind it where you can have an impromptu picnic.
