The exotic side of Los Alamitos

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Frieda Caplan has never been shy about trying new things. After all, she is the woman who in the 1960s found a fuzzy little green fruit and turned it into the global sensation called the kiwifruit. As a result of that and other discoveries, the purple “Frieda’s Finest” sticker quickly became ubiquitous in supermarket produce departments. This summer, along with daughter Karen Caplan, who is running their company now, Frieda (pictured) has launched her own version of a farmers market at the Los Alamitos headquarters of the national wholesale produce company. They’re careful to call it a “Fresh Marketplace,” not a farmers market, but you can recognize the trappings: tables under tents, cooking demonstrations and a jazz band.

There are some pretty interesting things to taste, as well, all of them coming from Frieda’s warehouse. In addition to the by-now-expected farmers market fare of shallots, fingerling potatoes, fresh herbs and heirloom tomatoes, there are fresh and dried chiles, tomatillos and jicama from Frieda’s line of Latin products. And of course there are exotic tropical fruits: three kinds of bananas, different varieties of mangoes and papayas, kiwano, rambutan, feijoa, cherimoya and — wouldn’t you know it, kiwis — both green and golden. There are even farmers — last weekend’s was Mark Maggiore from Brentwood, a Frieda’s supplier who brought in corn and sugar-sweet white apricots called Angelcots.

And, of course, there’s the irrepressible Frieda herself, still marketing at more than 80 years old, parked under an umbrella and signing copies of her “Purple Kiwi Cookbook” for anyone who wants one.

Frieda’s Fresh Marketplace, 4465 Corporate Center Drive, Los Alamitos (Cerritos Street at Lexington Drive). Saturdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through July 26.

-- Russ Parsons