Thursday, June 30, 2011

Tropical Fruit Love

Every summer TH and I pick a central or south American county to explore.  Why?  Aside from lovely people, a fascinating pre-European history, economic travel, beaches, jungle, fresh fruit and seafood,  a free trip to this part of the world involves a mere 35,000 miles on Alaska Airlines.  This summer we chose Panama.  We flew into Panama City the other day, and the next morning set off to appease TH's fishing addiction at Lake Gatun, a  jungle bottomed lake that developed with the Panama Canal.  It was beautiful and serene.



TH brought a few peacock bass home to fry up in our very economical mini apartment (City Suites Panama, $45/night), while I made a giant salad with veggies purchased at the Asian market down the road.  We topped the salad with a mystery spice that was delicious, until we discovered the secret ingredient:  MSG.




This morning we slept in, then dined on fruit purchased from a roadside stall and the Asian market.  An entire watermelon, a bunch of bananas, a bag of limes, and a mango were ours for $1.75!!


I was surprised to find rambutan, a fruit I know from Indonesia, in the Asian market.  Apparently they are now grown in Costa Rica as well.  To enjoy a rambutan you snap open the spiny outside, pull out the  white interior, and suck the sweet meat from the seed.  



Question:  Do you have a favorite exotic fruit?  

8 comments:

  1. Oh man--I'm so happy for you! I am one of the ultimate tropical fruit nerds--I moved to HI in large part because I was obsessed with learning more about them (and then ended up in AK)! Safeway watermelons were $15 apiece here today! Thankfully, there are two other produce stores in town that are slightly less exorbitant (Safeway hikes the prices when the RVs hit town) but I almost cried. I've been having a quarter watermelon for breakfast, and that and everything else--huuge sticker shock on everything. I feel like I should just eat potatoes...

    My favorite tropical fruit: durian, but I couldn't eat it all day every day. There are dozens of others that I adore too. I can't wait to see which ones you get to enjoy.

    Panama sounds awesome--I hope you have a great time there!
    Oh: I love how you say that the spice was delicious 'until' you realized it had MSG--I know just how that goes...

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  2. @Ela
    Ela- I am right there with you! Eating fresh fruit is always high on my travel priority list. I can't believe how expensive watermelons were in Homer!

    I have never been brave enough to try a durian, after smelling them in southeast Asia. I wish I would have known at the time that they were actually tasty. :(

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  3. kt--New Sagaya on 36th and Old Seward have frozen durian: that's my major treat when we go there.

    Not everyone loves durian, though. I love introducing it to people, and maybe more people like it than don't, but there have been a few that can't even get it near their face! There was one time that I converted a girlfriend to it--she adored it, but her husband _couldn't stand it_ (like 'get this out of the house!') Bit awkward...

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  4. @Ela

    I am so glad you told me about the durian on 36th! I am definitely going to try it. I never would have known to look for it in frozen foods.

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  5. looks like a blast. I bet you are enjoying the fresh fruit so much!!
    Peace and Raw Health,
    E

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  6. @Elizabeth

    You are right about the fruit, Elizabeth. Those of us in AK don't get the fresh fruit that you Floridians enjoy so much!

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  7. @Elizabeth

    You are right about the fruit, Elizabeth. Those of us in AK don't get the fresh fruit that you Floridians enjoy so much!

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  8. @Elizabeth

    You are right about the fruit, Elizabeth. Those of us in AK don't get the fresh fruit that you Floridians enjoy so much!

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