Lilikoi is the Hawaiian name for a particularly fragrant and enticing variety of yellow passionfruit. The juice is rich and tart and pungent. It’s a Midas ingredient, one that turns things it touches to gold, like this Lilikoi-Marinated Seared Ahi, Lilikoi & Mint Sorbet, or this take on a classic, Lilikoi Lemon Bars.
In the Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson says, “over a hundred fruits are needed to make one liter of juice, so it is a costly delicacy; [it's] flavor is of subtle composition and delicious.” For the lucky from Hawaii or other tropical climes, it’s a fruit we find draped on lush vines on the neighbor’s trellis, and to taste it is to crave it. You don’t need a hundred fruits–a little goes a long way–but it’s the perfect touch of fresh, tart, bright and unexpected that can awaken your palate to new possibilities.