I was wandering around Balducci's the other day looking for produce when I happened upon the strangest fruit I have ever seen. According to the tag the strange fruit was Buddha's Hand, which immediately brought to mind my dinner at The Modern, but I'll get back to that.
I contemplated buying the Buddha's Hand, but I wasn't really sure what to do with it so I snapped a photo, went home and looked it up.
According to Wikipedia, Buddha's Hand is "a type of citron and is often described as lemon-like. The fruit is segmented into finger-like sections. It has a thick peel and a small amount of acidic flesh and is seedless and juiceless." It can be used in salads, with fish, or candied.
Now why did I think of The Modern? Well, apparently the cucumber caipiroska I had at The Modern is made with Hangar One Buddha's Hand vodka! I found the cocktail recipe after searching online, but I haven't had a chance to try it at home. I've included it below in case someone wants to give it a try. Thanks to TheWanderingEater on Flickr for the photo!
Cucumber Caipiroska
1 oz. English Cucumber Juice
2 English Cucumber Wheels
2 Lemons
½ oz. Simple Syrup S
plash Lemon Juice
1½ oz. Hangar One Buddha’s Hand
Splash Soda Water
Muddle Cucumber Wheels, Lemons, and Simple Syrup. Add ice. Add remaining ingredients except Soda Water. Shake and serve in a Highball Glass. Top with Soda Water.
Enjoy!
*mB
