Chinese lanterns

As children we walked to school, and in one of the gardens we passed by was a Chinese lantern plant. I was always fascinated by it, by the fruit which were enclosed in a papery case which would open to reveal a shiny bright orange fruit. We were convinced they were poisonous fr some reason, I guess they were just seen as decorative garden plants. Occasionally one would fall off into the path and it was fun to pick up the lantern and gently squeeze the papery outside so it would split to show the fruit.

When I became interested in Mexican cookery many, many years ago before it became as popular as it is now, and before the chillies, herbs and spices and other ingredients were so widely available, I used to wonder if the green tomatoes some of the recipe books spoke of might be related to the physalis – Chinese lanterns I had seen as a child. This was before the internet so such musings could not easily be answered, and when physalis fruit, cape gooseberries,  started appearing in supermarkets as a dessert item, I was not much wiser.

Now hurrah! I know! Riverford Organics have delivered me a box of tomatillos, which are also physalis, physalis  philadelphica rather than the physalis  alkekengi which is the garden plant. I am going to make a nice salsa with the ones I have… yum yum!

http://www.garden.org/searchqa/index.php?q=show&id=14766&ps=7&keyword=edible&adv=0