The Book of Difficult Fruit: Celebrating the Tart, Tender, and Unruly

April 6, 2021

Dearest reader,

On this day, we raise our forks and glasses to a remarkable literary and culinary feast: The Book of Difficult Fruit: Arguments for the Tart, Tender, and Unruly by none other than Kate Lebo—essayist, poet, and pie lady extraordinaire.

This book unfolds as a sumptuous journey through the wild, enigmatic world of twenty-six fruits that challenge the gardener, the cook, and the curious alike.

Might you wonder why some fruits, with their prickly reputations and fleeting ripeness, still beckon to us with such irresistible allure?

Kate Lebo’s lovingly crafted essays and recipes unearth the stories behind these fruits—many of which are notorious for being difficult in both cultivation and consumption.

Consider the Aronia, or chokeberry, a proud member of the apple family, whose deep pigment stains the fingers and fabrics like raspberry juice’s mischievous cousin, yet is safely edible.

Or the infamous Durian, a fruit from the hibiscus family, whose rind guards a sweet treat within, but whose odor is an olfactory adventure—shifting from peachy sweetness to garlic-like pungency.

One can only ask: who but an adventurous gardener or gourmand would dare to embrace such sensory contrasts?

Then there is the Medlar, a fruit so soft and saccharine it evokes over-ripe dates and toffee apples, beloved not only for its taste but for its delightful blossoms that grace the garden.

The Quince, too, charms with a bright fragrance melded from pear, apple, and citrus; when cooked, its flesh transforms in hue and texture, from white to a blush of pink, a veritable alchemy of the kitchen.

What sets this tome apart is Kate’s holistic touch, weaving natural history with culinary magic and personal reflection. From the challenges of growth and harvest to the fleeting windows of ripeness and toxic temptations, these fruits tell tales of resilience and complexity. Intriguingly, Kate reveals esoteric gems like why the great Willa Cather insisted on including pits in her plum jam—an insider’s secret that sparks the imagination and beckons one to experiment.

Such insights have not gone unnoticed. The Book of Difficult Fruit garnered accolades as a Best Book of the Year from august sources like The Atlantic, New York Magazine, and NPR—no small feat for a book that invites us to rethink our relationship with the unruly bounty of the garden.

So, dear reader, as you plant and prune this season, might you pause to consider the “difficult fruits” in your own garden and kitchen?

Could embracing the tart, tender, and unruly unlock new pleasures and stories worth savoring?