Hyperfixed: "The Passion of the Fruit" (March 26, 2026)

Host: Alex Goldman
Guests: Lee (Australian expat in Texas), Eric Stafne (fruit crop researcher), Matt Nevins (creative director)

Episode Overview

In this much-loved premium episode, Alex Goldman tackles a delightfully hyper-specific, underexplored expat struggle: Why is it so hard to find passion fruit and passion fruit-flavored products in the United States? Sparked by Lee, an Australian tech worker longing for a taste of home, Alex embarks on a journey of discovery, tasting, and would-be marketing wizardry, exploring the economic, agricultural, and cultural factors that keep this fruit in the shadows of the American produce aisle. Along the way, the episode becomes a meditation on homesickness, globalization, and the power—and limits—of independent podcasting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How the Quest Began: Lee’s Passion Fruit Despair

[03:02 - 11:56]

• Expat Cravings: Lee, who moved from Australia to Austin, TX, is shocked to discover passion fruit is nearly impossible to find—or prohibitively expensive—in the U.S., unlike back home where it’s a staple.
  • “I realized at this point how hard it is to get passion fruit in the US... I have spent way too much money trying to get passion fruit into this country and I feel like you’re all missing out." - Lee, [08:29]
• Culture Shock Details: Beyond fruit, Lee found Americans can’t pronounce “Leigh,” so he amusingly uses “Barry Explosion” for takeout orders.
• What’s So Special About Passion Fruit?: Lee’s evocative (if initially unappetizing) description:
  • “Imagine if a kiwi fruit had a yolk. That’s a good place to start… there’s a whole lot going on there, and it’s a delightful mess to eat.” - Lee, [05:42]
• Aussie Snack Factions: Australians are fiercely loyal to their brand of passion fruit soda (“Team Passiona” vs “Team Pacito”).
• American Ignorance: Alex confesses he’d never noticed passion fruit in stores, nor tasted it:
  • “When it comes to fruit, I am basic as hell. I am like, an apples, bananas, grapes guy.” - Alex, [10:28]

2. Why IS Passion Fruit So Rare Here?

[11:56 - 15:19]

• Climate & Geography: Passion fruit does grow in parts of the US (California, Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico) but isn’t widespread.
• No “Big Passion Fruit”: Lee suspects a lack of industry push: “Maybe there's no passion fruit industry board... Big Passion Fruit, trying to push it on the country. Maybe that doesn’t exist, and it does for other fruits?” [11:56]
• Palate & Marketing: Is it too tart for American tastes, or simply missing an advocate?

3. Alex Tries Passion Fruit—And Joins The Cult

[15:19 - 17:57]

• Produce Hunt: After struggling to find any, Alex tries his first passion fruit on mic:
  • “Oh my god, this is so good… It’s like, very juicy and it’s got crunchy seeds in it. And it’s insanely delicious and also insanely expensive.” - Alex, [16:55]
  • He gives it an "8.5 out of 10," but is unnerved by “weird little nubs” inside the skin.

4. The Agriculture Angle: What’s Stopping Passion Fruit?

[18:15 - 26:09]

• Expert Interview: Alex interviews Eric Stafne, horticulture professor:
  • Labor and Disease: Growing passion fruit is labor-intensive (must be hand-picked/managed), and vines are short-lived due to disease.
    • “The market is not as developed as probably it could be… The main thing standing in the way is labor availability.” - Eric Stafne, [19:45]
  • Import Limits: Major exporters like Brazil are banned due to pest concerns.
  • No Industry Org: No U.S. Passion Fruit Growers Association or coordinated marketing efforts.
    • “We had a really difficult time finding growers… It will take a grower organization.” - Eric, [24:53]
  • Chicken-and-Egg Problem: Demand is low because supply is scarce and expensive; supply stays low because there’s no big market (unlike kiwifruit or blueberries, which “made it” through industry coordination).
  • Potential for Growth: Other specialty fruits (e.g., dragon fruit) are now mainstream—maybe passion fruit’s time will come.

5. How Do You Sell Passion Fruit to America? (The Marketing Brainstorm)

[27:27 - 35:03]

• Advertising as Solution: Alex consults his “best marketing guy,” Matt Nevins, for advice.
  • Influencer Campaigns: Matt suggests $4,000 could go surprisingly far if spent on weird, viral social media/influencer stunts, citing how avocados became trendy via social buzz:
    • “Getting other people to do the work for you is always the best way of getting a message out there…” - Matt, [29:22]
  • Risk and Weirdness: Should embrace passion fruit’s odd personality; maybe rebrand its “passion” edge.
  • Jingles: Alex asks about jingles; Matt is lukewarm but plays along with punny lyrics (“Difficult to eat, but delicious and sweet. Open your eyes, cut in half for a surprise…”).
• Legacy Ambitions:
  • “You want passion fruit domination to be part of your legacy?" - Matt, [34:36]
  • “Yeah. All I want to do is, like, five years from now, go to the store and have passion fruit be 50 cents a piece, and it will be because of me.” - Alex, [34:40]

6. Alex Goldman’s Homemade Passion Fruit Jingle

[36:10 - 38:17]

• Inspired by a viral Dr. Pepper TikTok jingle, Alex debuts the first “official” U.S. passion fruit jingle:
  • “Difficult to eat, but delicious and sweet. Open your eyes, cut in half for a surprise. Scoop the goo. It’s great for you. It’s passion not…”
• He invites listeners to help make passion fruit go viral—and maybe, at last, affordable.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Alex, on the show’s core challenge:
  • “I learned that the entire premise of this show—that I would be able to solve all your problems... was so much harder than I ever could have imagined.” [01:35]
• Lee, on American attitudes:
  • “People had not heard of passion fruit when I just thought it was a staple everywhere in the world.” [07:20]
• Eric Stafne, on agricultural hurdles:
  • “The passion fruit industry in the United States is small and it’s not very coordinated.” [19:07]
• Alex, on the taste revelation:
  • “In America, we have been conditioned to, like, a certain kind of flavor that’s called tropical… this is what this tastes like.” [16:55]
• Marketing advice, succinctly:
  • “If it’s weird enough and it catches fire, then that’s kind of all you need.” – Matt, [30:53]

Timeline of Important Segments

• [02:53] Introduction of Lee, Australian expat in Austin
• [03:49] Lee’s origin story and new “Barry Explosion” persona
• [05:42] What passion fruit is and why it matters
• [08:29] The craving—Lee’s attempts to find/buy/import/grow passion fruit
• [11:56] Brainstorm: why is it rare in the US?
• [15:19] Alex’s first passion fruit shopping (and dramatic tasting)
• [18:15] Interview with fruit crop expert, Eric Stafne
• [27:27] Ad campaign brainstorm with creative director Matt Nevins
• [36:10] The world premiere of the U.S. passion fruit jingle

Tone and Language

The episode brims with Alex’s signature blend of earnest curiosity, awkward humor, and self-deprecating honesty. Conversations are lively and accessible, peppered with snarky asides (“What the fuck is a persimmon?” [16:06]), playful banter (jingle-writing struggle), and genuine empathy for that singular, gnawing ache for lost flavors of home. Despite the fruit’s scarcity, both Alex and Lee’s passion (yes, pun intended) is infectious.

Takeaways

• Passion fruit’s rarity in the U.S. is not just a supply issue, but a complex web involving agriculture, labor, pest controls, industry structure, and culture.
• Without coordination (“Big Passion Fruit”), it remains locked out of mainstream American snacking—despite strong precedents from other now-ubiquitous specialty fruits.
• Word of mouth, influencer marketing, and maybe a truly weird jingle campaign could, just possibly, pave the way.
• This episode resonates as both a quest for culinary justice and a love letter to the stubbornness of nostalgia.

Listener Challenge: Support the show, demand your grocers carry passion fruit, and maybe—just maybe—help convert America to Team Passion Fruit, one jingle or TikTok at a time.