Jams (jellies in the US) are made by boiling the chosen fruit with sugar and pectin where required, and then storing in sterilised jars until used. Different cultures choose different amounts of sweetness,sloppiness and so on, but the general principle will be the same.
Roselle. Jamaican sorrel. A 2 meter (6 ft) high plant producing peppery leaves with a flavour similar to sorrel. The small scarlet flowers are used to make jams (US: jellies) and jellies (US: jellos) or dried and used to colour foods.
Ambarella. A fruit with many names, including Otaheite apple, Tahitian quince, Jamaica plum, golden apple and so on. Wherever it is found it is referred to by its local name. The fruit is plum-shaped, sweet-sour and eaten at all stages of ripeness. It has a spiny seed and it should be removed carefully. If it is in its unripe form it is peeled and sliced and dipped in chilli powder and salt. It is also used in chutneys. As it ripens the pale flesh becomes yellow to orange and becomes sweeter, slightly resembling pineapple in flavour.
Hog plum. A close relative of the mango native to the Amazon basin and used in making luscious ice creams.
A paella like dish from the southern states, particularly Louisiana, containing rice, fish, prawns, beans, anything that's going.
