Hidden inside this simple elegant packaging is fruit perhaps like you've never had before. Sweet? Yes! In the fruit way. Sugary? No.

Having tried many, and I mean many, variations of fruit that has been dried, sugared, sweetened, candied, absolutely every which way, I'm always cautious, suspect, reserved, and pessimistic when something new presents itself.

With these treats, and I mean all of these, they are fabulously special!

One look, certainly one taste, you know you're in for a treat. A healthy treat even though that doesn't really cross your mind as you enjoy a blissful mouth.

I consumed them with abandon. I consumed them with joy. I consumed them like the treat that they are.

Knowing that they are not like a candy bar. They don't stick to your teeth like a Three Musketeers bar and they don't over sugarize you like a bag of M&Ms will.

Instead, they're like a treat that you can feel good about. One that you can consume with control.

Get the benefit of fruit. It's a treat! A snack without the guilt of too much of a good thing.

When are they perfect? Not quite all the time. Perhaps only when you are awake.

For sure, they are good for a cross country plane ride or one across the oceans. And for sure, they are glove box ready.

Carry them in your backpack, your fanny pack, camera bag or your purse.

The slimming effect of not only the package, but the replacement of the candy bar, as well. These might be my go to treat of the year and certainly for at least the summer.

Click Here To See the Dried Fruit!

The variety of green mango grown in Taiwan is unique and differs from the green mangos found in other parts of the world, both in terms of cultivar and usage.

There are hundreds to over a thousand mango types globally, with new hybrids developed regularly. Each has its own characteristics based on local preferences and agricultural practices.

Botanically, mangoes belong to the species Mangifera indica. Within this species varieties are developed through natural selection, grafting, and crossbreeding. Institutions like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research conserves over 750 genotypes and the USDA track hundreds of officially recognized cultivars.

Mangos have been cultivated for over 4,000 years, making them one of the oldest cultivated fruits!

Mango varieties are adapted to local soil, climate, taste, and characteristics.

In Taiwan, green mangos are immature fruits of cultivars like Irwin or Jinhuang (also spelled Jin-Hwang).

Some of the mango varieties are picked before they are fully ripened, and are still green giving them a naturally firm texture and sour-sweet balance.

These green mangoes "are the babies of the family, harvested when the fruit is small, crisp, and sour."

Easy to chew, they are a surprise at first with the sour hit. The sour bite is a good one and fun, as well!

Shop now for Dried Green Mango here!

Pearl Guava, known locally as Zhenzhu Baguo, is a white-fleshed guava cultivar developed in Taiwan. It emerged in Kaohsiung around 1990, prized for its exceptional sweetness, crisp texture, and fragrant aroma. Pearl Guava accounts for over 90% of guavas cultivated in Taiwan, admired for its high yield, disease resistance, and optimal shelf life.

The name "Pearl Guava" stems from the symbolic value of pearls in Chinese culture—purity, value, and beauty.

The flesh is exceptionally sweet, with sugar levels averaging 10–15 Brix. It has a floral, musky fragrance and a subtly tangy finish.

The flesh is firm, dense, crisp, and crunchy—often described as the crunchiest among guava varieties, a trait highly valued in Taiwan

Typically round, oblate, or slightly pear-shaped with a glossy, textured green skin that often ripens to a pale yellow-green

Fruits usually measure 9-11 cm in length and diameter, weighing around 400-450 grams and sometimes reaching up to 600 grams or even 1 kg!

The largest fruits are harvested from June to September. The harvest in October through February produce the crispiest and most flavorful fruit.

Produced widely across Taiwan, the renowned Kaohsiung's soil from the mud volcano alluvial deposits imparts a distinctive taste and texture. Notably, Yanchao and Dashe townships are credited for the development and dominance of this variety.

These thick slices are really good! The skin is fun to chew and delicious. Is it exactly what you expect? Not at all. If you think you are going to bite into a juicy slice of guava you would be wrong!

This Pearl Guava truly shares what great dried fruit can be! In order to help with preserving, this one has a touch of sugar. Not to sweeten, but to share the amazing flavors.

Shop now for Dried Pearl Guava from Taiwan!

The Irwin mango, known in Taiwan as Aiwen, is not unique in origin to Taiwan; it actually began in Florida. However, its cultivation in Taiwan has made it feel uniquely Taiwanese.

Developed in Florida, the Irwin mango was first grown from a seedling of the Lippens variety, open-pollinated with Haden. It was planted by F.D. Irwin in Miami in 1939, first fruited in 1945, and was named and commercialized by 1949.

Introduced to Taiwan in 1954, Irwin mangoes were selected among several American mango varieties by the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute.

The region became prosperous, hosting a government-designated "mango special agricultural zone" by 1973, and Cheng is honored as the "Father of Taiwan's Irwin mangoes." The cultivar has remained Taiwan's most popular mango for over 50 years.

Certain areas, such as around the Jingmian Reservoir in Nanhua District, Tainan, produce extraordinarily aromatic and sweet Irwin mangos due to its unique chalky soil, mudstone layers, and humidity--earning them the nickname "fruit of the sun".

The Aiwen is known locally for making the famous mango shaved ice. In the bag you pull giant pieces out that look like leaves or other shapes. You will need to bring a sharp knife, a pair of scissors, or 8 incisors to eat these delicious bites of Aiwen mango!

They taste like mango and are super addictive!

Shop now for Dried Irwin Mango!

The Golden Diamond Pineapple, also known by its cultivar name Tainung No. 17, is unique to Taiwan.

It was specifically bred by Taiwanese agricultural researchers to create a unique and only in Taiwan Pineapple.

Tainung No. 17s were designed for sweetness, low acidity, edible core, and to suit Taiwan's climate and soil conditions and are different in flavor, fiber content, acidity, and shelf life. They have a slender, cylindrical shape, smooth shallow "eyes," golden yellow flesh, and a delicate, fibrous leaf crown.

Golden Diamond is exceptionally sweet, juicy, and fragrant with floral and tropical nuances. It can have a subtle caramel or brown sugar undertone. Its softer, and less acidic profile, makes it a more enjoyable raw. The flesh is soft and tender, with very low fiber, and the core is edible, tender and non-"tongue-cutting", unlike most other pineapples.

As with other pineapples, it's rich in vitamin C, fiber, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, B vitamins, and bromelain, an enzyme known for aiding digestion and having anti-inflammatory properties. While bromelain can cause a tingling sensation in the mouth, known as the "tongue bite", this variety has comparatively lower bromelain levels, reducing the so-called "pineapple bite" effect.

They are considered medium-size, about 15-17 cm long, 10-12 cm wide, and roughly 1.4 kg in weight with a thin skin. Harvested year-round but peaks March through June (spring to early summer).

While the pineapple plant itself isn't exclusive to Taiwan, the Golden Diamond variety is a Taiwanese specialty, developed there.

The slices inside are small in circumference with a visual that immediately says pineapple.

Easy to bite and a delightfully gentle chew that says I am different than other pineapples you have known before. I am sweet, but not too sweet, it's just me, you get what you bite. This dried Golden Diamond pineapple is a wicked good treat with delicious pineapple meat!

Shop now for Dried Golden Diamond Pineapple from Taiwan here!

Delicious and easy!

See the Tuscan Ragu with Fusilli Lunghi or Linguini Pasta Recipe here!

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To the eye, it's a very delicate yellow green color that is quite enticing.

The first sip is light banana-eee, with some very light hints of artichoke and avocado With the overall feeling of a cloud.

It all disappears very quickly with hints of bitterness on the edges and then overall. That wonderful bitterness transitions to a nice, gentle but very present, tickle and a cough which is produced in the back of the throat. This tells you a lot about the oil and its provenance.

This lightness with distinct olive oil flavors makes it a wonderful, special every day oil.

What's really fun about this oil is that as you taste it you experience it and then when it's done it's gone. That is a pretty special quality. Clarity. A nice quality to have.

This is a wonderful oil with personality that you can use everyday!

Shop now for U-NA NUMA EVOO Olive Oil!

The best sea salt for everything. Or perhaps it is the most versatile salt. Price, taste and saltiness are just about perfect. This is what you will use for pasta water or add to a sauce or on a roast.

This coarse Sicilian sea salt is a natural complement to fresh raw vegetables, salads, and fish.

Use Trapani sea salt to highlight salads, to finish roasts and sauces, or to garnish bruschetta.

And we've heard from customers that it's the perfect salt for rimming your margarita glasses! It doesn't just dissolve into salty liquid, and it gives the perfect crunch.

This salt comes from the western Sicilian coast from Marsala up to Trapani, where protected salt pans have been used to produce coarse sea salt for millennia.

The salt is extracted by the natural evaporation of seawater. Passing through a series of big basins, the seawater evaporates and leaves salt.

The salt is then raked and dried under the hot Sicilian sun.

Clean sea, sun, and wind are the only ingredients used to obtain this unrefined Trapani sea salt rich in flavor and minerals especially magnesium, calcium and potassium.

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The term "Tellicherry" originated when these large, black peppercorns were exported from the Indian port city of the same name.

These Tellicherry peppercorns are pungent, with the deepest, hottest flavor you'll ever find! Once traded, ounce for ounce, for pure gold, these Indian black peppercorns are still a superlative spice that can add a depth of flavor—first heat, then a tinge of sweetness—to your everyday meals.

Black pepper is produced from the still-green, unripe drupes of the pepper plant. The drupes are cooked briefly in hot water, both to clean them and to prepare them for drying. The heat ruptures cell walls in the pepper, speeding up the work of browning enzymes during drying.

The drupes are dried in the sun or by machine for several days, during which the pepper around the seed shrinks and darkens into a thin, wrinkled black layer. Once dried, the spice is called black peppercorn.

In general, the later the pepper is picked, the better its flavor maximizing the taste of the Tellicherry peppercorns. However, waiting too long to pick is a gamble, too; ripe pepper fruits will rot if left too long, and there is also an increased risk of loss to hungry birds or unfavorable weather.

Picking black Tellicherry pepper at just the right moment involves keen judgment and results in Indian black peppercorns with truly excellent flavor.

Shop now for Tellicherry Peppercorns here!

Inspired by the movie and Italy!

See the Fettunta with White Bean Puree Recipe here!

Maluku Islands in Indonesia, once held the most carefully guarded spice in the history of spice trading. It was so highly valued that the Portuguese, and later the Dutch, limited its cultivation to only two islands in the East Indies, putting to death anyone who attempted to elbow into the business. Fortunately, a non-affiliated group of birds carried the seeds throughout the Islands and beyond, breaking the nutmeg monopoly.

The peppery-sweet nutmeg is a traditional flavoring for cakes, gingerbread, biscuits, and fruit. It is commonly used in milk puddings, and a little grated into cherry or apple pie adds an indecipherable spiciness.

Nutmeg is excellent in savory dishes, especially sausages, fish, and seafood.

It is a necessary ingredient in many British-inspired chutneys, and grating just a bit over steamed cauliflower, baked onions, or mashed potatoes is a perfect finishing touch.

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We love these. The tomatoes are whole and nestled beautifully inside the can. The taste is pure tomato, the way a canned tomato should be, with no added elements, allowing you to be in control of how they're flavored.

For almost 20 years, we have had one favorite canned tomato from Italy.

So when this can of tomatoes came into our lives one day, I was a bit stubborn and hard-pressed to find a reason we should change.

And then I used them in my basic tomato sauce and knew they would become my new favorite. The Posardi Sardinian whole peeled tomatoes are consistently sweeter tomatoes, with a richer, fuller color, and nice soft ends. These whole canned tomatoes work just as they should, adding to a dish without being too strong. Perfect.

They have just three ingredients: tomatoes, tomato juice (juice from processing), and citric acid. No salt added, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free, BPA-Free, Pesticide-Free. 100% Pomodori Sardi Tomatoes from Sardinia. Like all great ingredients, there is a difference from one brand to the next!

These are truly exceptional tomatoes.

Shop now for Posardi Sardinian Whole Tomatoes!

This pasta is delicious! Cooked and tossed in a hot skillet with garlic and then finished with a fresh Olive Oil we are talking about divine! Light, tasty and summery.

Shop now for Morelli Linguine Pasta with Lemon and Black Pepper!

On a bright, sunny day, as I look south to Mount Rainier, I wallow in self-pity because I cannot find the words to put down on paper about my hearts.

And I realize there are visual similarities between the hearts and Mount Rainier. With the bottom up and the leaves splayed out, they are indeed like Mount Rainier!

Now I am not talking about the throbbing thing that is in your chest (and sometimes in your throat); I am, in fact, referencing the heart of the artichoke from Puglia.

Known as Romana Style, these artichoke hearts are bathed in olive oil, wine vinegar, salt, and spices.

The "chokes" you get in a jar or tin can are almost always a variation of the Roman Style. This is where the olive oil, the wine vinegar, and the chosen spices make a difference! And the artichoke itself is also an important factor in the end result.

Now, a true confession: I really do like the artichokes in a jar thing, so much that I am willing to forget that the last big jar I got from a warehouse store was not very good, and I still manage to buy a two-pack every once in a while.

The real trouble with getting those giant jars is that the chokes are mostly hard, the leaves often unchewable, and the oil is gross and oily...good oil is not oily.

These Roman-style from Puglia are none of those things.

They are soft, with a wonderful, interesting flavor, and a pleasure in the mouth. To the bite, they have just the right resistance and a gentle soft crunch. The leaves and the heart have their own bite and marry well together.

Often, a recipe will have you slice them up into smaller pieces or dice them, and this makes sense. If you're like me, cutting them up a little bit for visual reasons works, too. Or, just eat them whole right out of the jar when no one is looking. Like drinking from the milk carton....

The flavor is a combination of the oil and the choke itself, which is sometimes described as asparagus-like (not sure this is quite true) and with a hint of citrus.

And the oil that they come in is full of artichoke flavor. (Keep in mind I can't seem to describe the flavor.) The oil does taste like artichoke. Perfect for a salad dressing or pasta dish.

Though I am thinking it might just be right for a hearty bowl of mixed grains of emmer and lentils topped with veggies, including these artichokes.

Shop now for Artichoke Hearts Romana Style in Olive Oil!

Spanish Roja organic hardneck garlic is known for its "true" garlic flavor. Its large cloves are easily peeled. Garlic lovers choose this as one of their favorites. A northwest heirloom variety reportedly brought here before 1900.

Shop now for Spanish Roja Organic Hardneck Garlic!