Fruit Salad - Introduction
Fruit salad is by far one of the most nutritious, healthiest cold
dishes one can serve. Fruit salad is versatile, easy to make and fun to
eat. Fruit salads can be made with any variety of fruits you wish to
use. For some, a favorite fruit salad is simply a bowl of pineapple
chunks and sliced strawberries. For others, a combination of citrus
slices is considered the ideal fruit salad. Then there are the people
who favor a fruit salad of apples, grapes, nuts and shredded coconut.
The beauty of fruit salad is that it can be made from absolutely any
fruit under the sun. Bananas, however, are not particularly suitable for
fruit salads that are not consumed right away because once peeled, the
banana tends to turn brown quickly, especially when refrigerated.
 With
that one precaution in mind, there is absolutely no fruit that cannot be
included in a fruit salad. It all depends upon the fruits available at
the time and the individual tastes of the people who will be eating it.
Exotic, tropical fruits such as mangoes, papaya, star fruit and guava
are excellent in fruit salad. Apples, oranges, grapes, peaches, cherries
and pears are excellent in fruit salad as are raisins, kiwis, and
berries of all kinds – raspberries, blueberries, blackberries – are all
great additions to any fruit salad, as well as melons – watermelon,
cantaloupe, and honey dew melons. The only thing to limit your options
for fruit salad ingredients is your own preference and tastes and the
availability of fresh fruits in the area where you live. In addition to
fruit, your fruit salad could be enhanced with the addition of whipped
cream, cottage cheese, marshmallows or nuts. The choices and combination
possibilities are endless.
One of the most popular fruit salads of all time is ambrosia. The
main ingredients are canned fruit cocktail, pineapple, mandarin oranges,
maraschino cherries, marshmallows and nuts. Most people use pecans, but
walnuts or almonds are equally delicious in this heavy, sweet fruit
based salad.
 Possibly the next most popular fruit salad is citrus salad, made with
a combination of citrus fruits, including oranges, tangerines and red
and white grapefruit. Often, maraschino cherries are added to give this
tart salad some much desired sweetness. Waldorf salad, another popular
fruit salad is made with apples, walnuts, celery, and mayonnaise served
on a bed of lettuce. Some people have a preference for yogurt over
mayonnaise, but the authentic Waldorf salad is made with mayonnaise.
This great American classic fruit salad got its name because it was
first served at New York’s famous Waldorf Astoria hotel in 1893 by the
hotel’s maitre d’, Oscar Tschirky. Regardless of your preference,
there is a fruit salad with your name on it. It only takes a little
experimentation and ingenuity to come up with just the right fruit
combination to suit your palate. By adding whipped cream or even ice
cream, your fruit salad can be instantly transformed from an appetizer
to dessert. Bon appetite.
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