When Is Wax Apple in Season? Full Analysis of Taste and Dietary Cautions

Wax apple, also known as bell fruit, rose apple, lian wu, and Java apple, is a tree of the Myrtaceae family, cultivated in Guangdong, Taiwan, China and Guangxi in China for consumption. So when is it generally in season? Is it tasty? What cautions are there? It is reported that it bears fruit all year round, with October (late September) to April of the following year being the peak season for wax apple; fruit from the peak season is of better quality, larger and redder.

Is wax apple tasty?

1. Wax apple is an excellent fruit that can treat a variety of diseases. Its nature and flavor are sweet and neutral; its functions are to moisten the lungs, relieve cough, eliminate phlegm, cool the blood, and astringe. It mainly treats dry lung cough, persistent hiccups, hemorrhoid bleeding, abdominal distension, enteritis and dysentery, diabetes, and other conditions. Seeds charred and ground into powder can also treat bleeding from external injuries and lower limb ulcers. Its nutritional components include protein, dietary fiber, carbohydrates, vitamins B and C, and so on; it has a special fragrance and is a natural antipyretic. Because it contains a lot of water, in dietary therapy it has the effects of reducing fever, promoting diuresis, and calming the mind and soothing the nerves.

2. The wax apple fruit has a special fragrance, is crisp and tasty, and looks elegant. High-quality wax apple is called “Black Diamond”, priced at over a hundred yuan per kilogram. With good cultivation and management, it can be harvested 5 times a year, and especially in the dry and hot seasons of spring and summer, it is very popular as a refreshing, thirst-quenching fruit.

Wax apple is an excellent fruit that can treat a variety of diseases. Its nature and flavor are sweet and neutral; its functions are to moisten the lungs, relieve cough, eliminate phlegm, cool the blood, and astringe. It mainly treats dry lung cough, persistent hiccups, hemorrhoid bleeding, abdominal distension, enteritis and dysentery, diabetes, and other conditions. Seeds charred and ground into powder can also treat bleeding from external injuries and lower limb ulcers. In addition, there is a folk saying in Taiwan, China that “eating wax apple clears lung fire”. People regard it as an excellent fruit for relieving summer heat and quenching thirst, and habitually boil it with rock sugar to treat dry cough without phlegm or difficulty expectorating phlegm.

What are the dietary cautions for wax apple?

1. Although wax apple is highly nutritious, in traditional Chinese medicine it is classified as cold in nature. Friends who like eating wax apple should note that if your constitution tends toward the cold type, please eat as little wax apple as possible. Especially for some female friends, if your body is prone to pain during your menstrual period, it is best not to eat it during your period, or to reduce the amount of wax apple you eat as much as possible.

2. Some pregnant women should note that wax apple has a diuretic effect, which is not favorable for pregnant women with frequent urination to eat much of during pregnancy. Likewise, other people who urinate frequently should not eat much wax apple either.

3. For some friends suffering from gastric ulcers, Mom Network advises here that you avoid eating wax apple on an empty stomach.

4. It is not recommended that infants eat much wax apple. Infants are still in the stage of growth and development, and wax apple has a diuretic effect; infants eating wax apple can easily lead to bedwetting in young children.

5. Wax apple is a cold-natured fruit, so here it is also not recommended that friends with yin deficiency eat wax apple.

Appendix: Selection methods

1. In terms of size

Generally, the standard is how many fruits make up one Taiwanese catty (taijin). Four fruits or fewer per taijin is top grade, 4-5 fruits per taijin is upper-middle grade, 5-6 fruits per taijin is middle grade, 6-7 fruits per taijin is inferior grade, and 7 fruits or more is low grade.

2. In terms of sweetness

Generally, consumers can only distinguish the level of sweetness subjectively by "mouth and tongue"; whether it is sweet varies from person to person. Generally, it is measured with a sugar meter (Brix 0-32%): above 15 degrees is extremely sweet, 12-15 degrees is very sweet, 10-12 degrees is sweet, 8-10 degrees is slightly sweet, and below 8 degrees is not sweet.

3. In terms of flesh quality

Consumers can use a blade to cut the wax apple horizontally through the middle. The thicker the flesh and the less spongy tissue (that is, the spongy part in the middle), the better the quality.

4. In terms of color and luster

Color and luster do not have an absolute relationship with how tasty a wax apple is, and they change with the seasons. Generally, in winter the color is the deepest (sometimes as deep as dark purple), and as the climate gradually turns hotter, the color of the wax apple gradually becomes lighter. Generally, the closer the winter wax apple color is to purple, the riper it is and the higher its sugar content; the more lustrous the skin after being gently wiped with cloth, the relatively higher the quality. Skin luster is also somewhat related to the thickness of the flesh: the more lustrous, the thicker the flesh. But if it is overripe, this does not apply, because when overripe its luster instead becomes duller and muddier, though its taste is unaffected. There is also a special case: if the wax apple fruit receives too much sunlight, its pigment is damaged and it appears white; if it is ripe enough, it will then turn creamy yellow. Although its color is not attractive, it is equally tasty.