because my flist knows everything...

[ratcreature]

What is the proper English term for this slight whiteish coating that some fruit like plums, blueberries or grapes naturally have? In German I've heard it called "Duftfilm" or "Reifbelag" but neither of those gave me results in a dictionary. But surely it must have a name in English as well.

Comments

[ilyena_sylph]

I can tell you what it is -- paraffin wax discharge -- but I can't at the moment tell you if it's got a common name... Which is really silly. Farm kid that I am, I ought to know.

[ratcreature]

Over on LJ some replied that it is referred to as "bloom" in English.

[ilyena_sylph]

Ah hah!

You know, now that rings a bell... *shakes head* Grandpa would be ashamed of me.

[maire]

Bloom is the correct term.

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

it's often called "bloom". we use the same word for when chocolate gets that funny grayish mottling.

[ratcreature]

Thanks. I knew this word for the chocolate phenomenon, but hadn't realized you use it for fruit to. Though one of the German terms is also similar to what we call the chocolate mottling, which is called "Fettreif" in German from "Reif" for rime, so literally "fat-rime" because the fat separates to the surface, and the term Reifbelag I mentioned for the fruit thing means literally "rime coating" so both are likened to way the frost looks.

[jacquez.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't at all be surprised, by the by, if some English-speaking person said "rime" to me, re: the fruit bloom. I would probably assume that they didn't know "bloom", but would also know what they meant by using "rime".

[teneagles.livejournal.com]

"Bloom", although I don't think it's a word most people know of or use. I only know it because my aunt has a vineyard.

[ratcreature]

Thanks. The German terms aren't all that common either. I guess you just don't talk that often about fruit in detail. Though sometimes I find it useful to be specific, so that it is clear you don't mean stuff like the artificial wax coating some other fruit get to stay fresh longer and such.

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

I've always described it as 'must' (as in mold; moldiness; mustiness). Perhaps that is colloquial to my part of the world? Generally, that whitish 'bloom' isn't something that I usually want to see on a fresh fruit and 'bloom' has positive connotations.

[ratcreature]

But this coating is what you want to see. It is a natural protection that rubs off easily and if it is still there when sold it shows that the fruit hasn't been handled a lot. It is a sign of good quality in the fruits that have these.

[jimandblair.livejournal.com]

yes, possibly. It's not something that I'm that familiar with apart from from red grapes. And to be honest I've always thought 'ewwww.'

It's a frame of reference call. I recall a colleague from southern Italy homesick for fruit and veg, bemoaning to the point of tears what was available in the local supermarkets.

[droolfangrrl.livejournal.com]

bloom aka epicuticular wax

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicuticular_wax

[ratcreature]

Thanks for giving the scientific term too.