Author Topic: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum  (Read 4980 times)

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« on: April 23, 2015, 10:45:12 PM »
So Rowan sent me a few fruits to try this week along with some more cuttings. The fruits this year were not as large as last year--those were the size of large plums. The size of this year's crop is denoted in the images below.

Taste:

Ok, so first off, this really doesn't taste anything like dragonfruit--at all. The consistency is also very different, and difficult to describe. I would describe it as being jelly-like; similar to silken tofu, but in no way slimy.

Taste: Wow! what really blew me away was how much more intense the flavor is compared to dragonfruit. This immediately hit me because I was expecting this to be about the same in terms of robustness as a red/purple dragon. Not so. This is way, way stronger than that. I would say that it has the same intensity as a jellybean.

As for the flavor itself--and here's the weird part--it tastes so much like passionfruit it is unbelievable. In fact it even smells like passionfruit. In a blind smell test, 9 from 10 people would  ID it as a passionfruit. There's not really any hint of dragonfruit in it at all--and neither any creaminess  like cactus apples ( cereus peruvianus). It isn't as sour as I thought it would be. There is an initial note of sourness which dissipates quickly. No bitterness at all, even in the flesh closest to the skin. About as sweet as a good dragonfruit.

One interesting thing about it is that the taste seems to cling to the palate. I guess what I'm saying is that it lingers--certainly much more than dragonfruit. Normally I wouldn't like this, but this thing is delicious.

There's more flavors in there then passionfruit however, and the two that come mind are lychee, and Ribena. Its like a really firm pudding cup with flavors in the following ratios:

Passionfruit:3
Ribena: 1
lychee: 1

I will absolutely be growing several of these. I am told by Rowan that the mature plant is self fertile and sets a lot of fruit even in its frigid location of Victoria, so in my semi-tropical climate, it should hopefully go nuts.

So my final verdict is that this is pretty awesome. I would rate it at least as good as any dragonfruit I've tried and better than many of them. Certainly it has a more intense and complex flavor. The fact that this thing is spineless, and will fruit in total shade with minimal care is an added bonus, as is the plant's small size. The only con I can think of is the relatively small fruit size ( there were about 3 teaspoon scoops per fruit in the ones displayed)--but again, apparently the fruit get much larger than the ones sent to me, and it is a prolific fruiter.

Will be crossing this with Rixford/ American beauty this year and will grow out the results, but I'd be happy if this thing never changed  :)










nullzero

  • Zone 10a
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3768
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #1 on: April 23, 2015, 10:55:23 PM »
Very nice review, and love the color of the fruit flesh. Sounds like it has some great potential for crosses. Even some Cereus sp. crosses possible perhaps.
Grow mainly fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #2 on: April 23, 2015, 11:09:07 PM »
Very nice review, and love the color of the fruit flesh. Sounds like it has some great potential for crosses. Even some Cereus sp. crosses possible perhaps.

A cereus sp cross would be really interesting. A guy up the road has a massive C. Peruvianus, I might bother him for some pollen at some point.

BMc

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1740
  • Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #3 on: April 24, 2015, 12:39:20 AM »
Sounds great. I've got some cuttings of a golden flowered and fruited one which is also reportedly superior to DF.
If you have a local source for them I'd be interested to buy a cutting and cross out the two SF Epis.

stuartdaly88

  • Phytomaniac
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1186
  • Zone 9b/10a
    • South Africa, Gauteng
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #4 on: April 24, 2015, 01:30:13 AM »
Very beautiful fruit!
It really looks like it should taste delicious so im glad it actually does:D
Nice report, Viva cactus fruit!
Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.
-Jean-Jacques Rousseau

echinopora

  • Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 231
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #5 on: April 24, 2015, 05:09:10 AM »
If you eventually grow these out enough to be selling cuttings I would also be interested in buying some.

gunnar429

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3320
  • Nothing like fruit from your own yard!
    • West Park, FL 33023, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #6 on: April 24, 2015, 01:20:16 PM »
If you eventually grow these out enough to be selling cuttings I would also be interested in buying some.

+1.  You had me at jellybean...and passionfruit!
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #7 on: April 24, 2015, 05:02:45 PM »
Sorry guys, no more trading on this site, I only buy now. I'm tired of going through the trouble and expense of sending seeds to the US only to get stooged by people who never honor the trade agreement. I'm not going to name and shame members, but yeah--I'm done. Only people I will trade with now are those who have sent things to me in the past.

I will trade with fellow Aussies, BMC and echinopera I have you covered.
« Last Edit: April 24, 2015, 05:07:23 PM by starling1 »

gunnar429

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3320
  • Nothing like fruit from your own yard!
    • West Park, FL 33023, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2015, 08:51:20 AM »
ignorant question: do all epis produce fruit?
~Jeff

"Say you just can't live that negative way, if you know what I mean. Make way for the positive day." - Positive Vibration

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2015, 09:38:33 AM »
ignorant question: do all epis produce fruit?

some just produce seed pods.

Hard to get one that produces good fruit.

ricshaw

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1599
    • USA, Southern California, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • ricshaw805 YouTube Channel
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2015, 02:23:36 PM »
Thank you for sharing. Very nice review!

Rather than take the approach of; Where can I get cuttings?
I would like to know more about this Epiphyllum 'Rowan's Red' variety.
Can you post pictures of the Epiphyllum plant and flower?
Do you know more about the history of "Rowan's Red"?  How was it created?

Like I said on another post, we need to start a list of Epiphyllum varieties with fruit that tastes good.

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #11 on: April 26, 2015, 02:35:29 AM »
Thank you for sharing. Very nice review!

Rather than take the approach of; Where can I get cuttings?
I would like to know more about this Epiphyllum 'Rowan's Red' variety.
Can you post pictures of the Epiphyllum plant and flower?
Do you know more about the history of "Rowan's Red"?  How was it created?

Like I said on another post, we need to start a list of Epiphyllum varieties with fruit that tastes good.
well, basically this one was found cropping in total shade under a macadamia tree in Melbourne. I named it 'Rowan's Red' in honor of the guy who found it and went out his way to send it to me. The flowers are small, and lemon coloured though I've not seen them.

ricshaw

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1599
    • USA, Southern California, Zone 10b
    • View Profile
    • ricshaw805 YouTube Channel
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #12 on: April 26, 2015, 02:03:45 PM »
well, basically this one was found cropping in total shade under a macadamia tree in Melbourne. I named it 'Rowan's Red' in honor of the guy who found it and went out his way to send it to me. The flowers are small, and lemon coloured though I've not seen them.

Someday, if you get a chance, some pictures of the epi flower and plant might help identify which type of Epiphyllum you have and be beneficial to others looking for epis with good fruit.

A picture of your cutting would be nice.  :D

starling1

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 983
    • Queensland, Australia
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #13 on: April 26, 2015, 06:32:51 PM »
well, basically this one was found cropping in total shade under a macadamia tree in Melbourne. I named it 'Rowan's Red' in honor of the guy who found it and went out his way to send it to me. The flowers are small, and lemon coloured though I've not seen them.

Someday, if you get a chance, some pictures of the epi flower and plant might help identify which type of Epiphyllum you have and be beneficial to others looking for epis with good fruit.

A picture of your cutting would be nice.  :D

I have posted pictures of the plant before, you can dig them up somewhere on the boards. My theiry is that it's an epiphyllum crenatum that might have hybridized naturally with some other kind of epi some other related cacti, perhaps even a selenicereus of some description--but I don't even know if this is possible.

katheeja

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 1
    • scarborough
    • View Profile
Re: Taste Report: 'Rowan's Red' Epiphyllum
« Reply #14 on: July 14, 2017, 08:42:28 PM »
can somebody send me epi seeds pls