Accustomed to eating fruit raw, we can try incorporating fruit into our meals. Of course, it's also important to consider the cooking methods and ensure a harmonious pairing. Generally, here are a few tips:
1. The texture, color, and flavor should be harmonious. For example, meat has a dense texture and often requires a little sugar and soy sauce for seasoning, making it a good match for pineapple, which provides a beautiful color, rich texture, and wonderful flavor. Fish is soft and tender and can be paired with kiwi or mango. Cucumbers and lettuce are a vibrant green with a fresh, light flavor, and can be considered with the richly fragrant papaya, and so on.
2. Many fruits are prone to browning, so it's best to choose fruits that don't brown easily for stir-frying. Fruits that do brown can be used in soups, but be sure to add them only after the soup has come to a boil. This will deactivate the oxidase enzymes, making them less likely to change color.
3. When cooking, do not deep-fry the fruit arbitrarily, as this will destroy its light and healthy characteristics. The stir-frying and stewing times must be short. It's best to cook the other ingredients first and add the fruit at the very end.
4. Fruit is naturally sweet, so the seasoning should be light. Avoid using large amounts of salt, as this will overpower the refreshing taste of the fruit. At the same time, since the fruit itself is sweet, there is no need to add sugar when seasoning. You can simply use the fruit's natural sweetness to complement the other ingredients.
5. Fruit should not be paired with ingredients that have bones, sharp parts, or are too chewy. It is also not suitable for pairing with ingredients that have a strong or pungent taste.
6. If making a fruit salad, be sure to use mayonnaise sparingly, as it can be as high as 80% fat.
If you're not skilled at cooking with fruit, you can simply cut the fruit into small pieces, peel and core it, and serve it alongside other dishes. It actually tastes quite good and is very easy to accept!