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?
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...
ReplyDeleteMy 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...
@Ela
ReplyDeleteEla- 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. :(
kt--New Sagaya on 36th and Old Seward have frozen durian: that's my major treat when we go there.
ReplyDeleteNot 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...
@Ela
ReplyDeleteI 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.
looks like a blast. I bet you are enjoying the fresh fruit so much!!
ReplyDeletePeace and Raw Health,
E
@Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the fruit, Elizabeth. Those of us in AK don't get the fresh fruit that you Floridians enjoy so much!
@Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the fruit, Elizabeth. Those of us in AK don't get the fresh fruit that you Floridians enjoy so much!
@Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteYou are right about the fruit, Elizabeth. Those of us in AK don't get the fresh fruit that you Floridians enjoy so much!