While wandering through a street market in Southeast Asia, I discovered a fruit I rarely see available from produce sellers in Hawaii: Baskets of poha were piled to the brim.

Poha (Physalis peruviana) is also known as cape gooseberry, golden berry, husk cherry and Peruvian ground cherry. Poha is native to Brazil but was naturalized in the highlands of Chile and Peru and is associated with that region.

In Hawaii, poha was first grown on Hawaii island around 1825. Poha plantings elevated into commercial cultivation, but the labor intensiveness of the fruit caused its processing demise in 1966.

Poha prefers a habitat height between 1,500 and 4,000 feet. With decreasing elevation, fruit numbers increase but the size diminishes. Fruit maturation during relatively dry weather produces greater yields. Unless irrigated, extensive drought produces dormancy in poha.

Later in the day is preferable for hand-harvesting fruit to allow for evaporation of clinging moisture. Polyethylene sheets are sometimes arranged along the plants. The fruit is then shaken onto the sheets. The sheets are dragged away and the poha gathered.

Fruit destined for processing must be husked. The University of Hawaii developed a machine that husks poha 3.5 to four times faster than by human husking. Small-scale production usually incorporates the labor-intensive hand-husking.

The perennial poha is a soft-wooded, slightly vining plant. The fibrous root system is shallow, requiring well-draining soil. Fertile soil encourages vegetative growth rather than fruit production. Sprawling, often purplish branches are ribbed and coated with delicate hairs. Pointed, haphazardly serrated, heart-shaped leaves are light velvety. Nodding, bell-shaped flowers are yellow, with purple-brown specks in the throat and cradled by a purple-green, hairy calyx.

After the blossom falls, the calyx broadens into a straw- to tan-colored, papery husk, encapsulating the fruit. The fruit is a marble-size berry with orange-yellow, waxy, sleek skin. The succulent pulp contains abundant, petite, yellow seeds.

Nutritionally, poha is a wonderful source of phosphorous. By proportion, poha has more vitamin C than oranges, and the riper the fruit, the larger the amount of beta-carotene. Poha also contains an array of bioflavonoids, which assist with anti-inflammation and interact as natural blood thinners.

Hawaiian Regional Cuisine, including the world of fusion cuisine, treasures poha. I’ve gorged on poha in simple jams, fruit salads, ice cream, cookies, chutney, salsa, dipped in chocolate and dried like raisins. In New Zealand I had a glorious rack of lamb that was draped with a savory, ambrosial demiglace sauce made with poha.

Remember that market? I bought four baskets. I was in poha heaven.

Duane Choy is a native Hawaiian plant specialist. Reach him at HanaHou@ecologyfund.net.