OpinionOpinion byKem OrmondFeatures writer·The Country·11 Jul, 2026 05:00 PM3 mins to readKem Ormond is a features writer for The Country as well as Coast & Country, covering all aspects of rural life.‌The babaco plant at the Heritage Food Crops Research Trust in Whanganui. Photo / Phil ThomsenThe other day, I was given a babaco to sample, a fruit grown at the Heritage Food Crops Research Trust in Whanganui.This large, yellow, alien-looking fruit is pentagonal in shape with soft, smooth, thin, edible skin that starts green and, as it ripens, turns to bright sunshine yellow.

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