HUA MOA

Hua Moa is actually a plantain. The plant grows to 14 feet tall and has very unusually fat fruit. The fruit can grow to 3 inches in diameter and 10 inches long. The plant was introduced to the United States from Tahiti by William F. Whitman in 1960. It has since been distributed around South Florida by W.O. Lessard and is very popular with the Cuban community. The fruit is commonly fried as a plantain, yet it also very good eaten fresh when it ripens. It is better to pick the fruit prior to it turning yellow, as the fruit often splits.