Safflower. A thistle-like plant which is a major producer of a high polyunsaturated, flavourless, colourless oil which is good for deep frying and in salad dressings. The flowers are reddish-orange and the styles are sometimes sold as saffron.
Red snapper. A reef fish found along the eastern coast of North America and in the Gulf of Mexico. It has rosy skin, red eyes and lean, flaky, pink flesh which whitens as it cooks. It has a good, sweet flavour. In July 2004 it was reported (Nature, Vol 430, p 309) that most red snappers sold in the United States are not red snappers at all. Peter Marko of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill analysed DNA from a selection of fillets in eight US states and found that 25% were not red snapper but the related (and inferior) species of vermilion, lane and crimson snapper. Worse, 50% were unidentifiable or came from foreign oceans. Like many good fish, the red snapper has become rare and it came under strict management in 1996 to reduce exploitation.
Mexican marigold or tarragon, tasting similar to French tarragon but slightly stronger and more anise-like, is a semi-woody shrubby plant. The leaves are shiny and green. In summer they bear yellow flowers, hence the common name of Mexican marigold. The plant originated in Guatemala and Oaxaca in the south of Mexico. It is quite easy to grow.
It is thought that the Meyer lemon may be a cross between a lemon and an orange or a mandarin. They may be quite small and rounder in shaped than a usual lemon. They are sweeter than the most common commerical lemons such as Eureka and Lisbon. Meyer are better for desserts while the more acid commercial varieties are more likely to suit dressings for salads or fish. The rind of the Meyer lemon is smooth and soft and may vary in colour from greenish ripening to a yellowish-orange. The rind lacks the typical lemon peel oil aroma and the pulp is darker yellow and less acidic than a regular lemon. Meyer lemons were introduced from China to the US by Frank Meyer in 1908 and are now grown in California, Florida and Texas and are at their best from November to January.
A variety of seriously red eating apple raised Mr HM Tydeman at East Malling Research Station in Kent in 1929 as a cross between McIntosh and Worcester Pearmain. This mid-season variety is harvested from early September in South-East England and can be stored until October.
A small variety of yellow, plum-shaped chilli with a ribbed or crumpled appearance.
