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| By Don Lechón |
My beloved lechones,
Did you miss me? Well, I´m glad you finally met my crew. They´re awesome, aren't they?
The other day I was amazed by how a French friend of mine was pigging out on a mango with so much passion. After eating it in less than one minute without the help of anything but his own hands he added in his thick accent- In my country this is tasteless and very expensive, here I got it for 3 pesos. Oh Oui!
Yes, one really amazing thing you can find in Mexico is a huge variety of fruits. Some of them very common, others really exotic but both delicious. Not all of the fruits are originally from here but they have received a most friendly welcome and are grown in the rich Mexican soil. The climate and environment in Mexico are conducive to the growing of a variety of fruits; you can find them in the supermercados easily and get them for an affordable price. Their flavor is simply oink-resistible! In other countries, it is common that fruits have a pleasing appearance but have a bland, disappointing taste. On the contrary, the fruits found in Mexico are rich in flavor while having a more homely but natural look.
Here´s my selection of the finest exotic fruits you can find in this magical land to refresh your body and soul:
Guayaba: Guava (Psidium guajava)
Native to tropical America, the guava is found in Mexican markets but for in the winter when it is out of season. A pretty yellow skin contains delicious pink flesh with many seeds. It´s ideal for jams, jellies, gelatine, guava pies and juice. Its very cheap price makes guava a delicious must buy.
Aguacate: Avocado (Persea americana)
Native to Mexico, the word Avocado comes from a Náhuatl Indian (Aztec) word ¨ahuácatl¨ meaning testicle. It is thoght that the reference is either due to the avocado´s shape or the fact that it was considered to possess aphrodisiac qualities. What do you think?
The avocado is available year round. It´s used in guacamole and salads and the aromatic leaves are used to flavor bean dishes, mixiotes and even mescals! Oink!
Granada: Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
Introduced by Spanish conquistadors, pomegranate is a delicious spherical fruit with green hard skin, and full of brilliant red seeds. It is used in savory sauces, salad dressings, sorbets, drinks and in a typical dish called Chiles en Nogada.
Mamey: Mamey Sapote (Pouteria sapota)
It´s a delicious fruit with rough brown skin and a soft orange flesh on the inside. It has a mildly sweet taste with a texture similar to sorbet. Mamey is a favorite for milkshakes and ice creams.
Mango: Mango (Mangifera indica)
Having arrived from South Asia to a warm welcome in Mexico, mango is used for everything: salsas, savory sauces for fish, chicken and poultry, an endless variety of drinks, ice creams, desserts and even candy. There are many varieties of mango and all delicious. My personal favorite and a guaranteed must try (my french comrade wasn ´t wrong).
Tamarindo: Tamarind (Tamarindus índica)
Native to countries in Asia, Africa and of course Mexico, its pulp has a bittersweet and refreshing taste. It is used specially for Tamarindo juice and a very popular variety of candy called: Chamoy (combined with red chili and sugar).
Noni: Noni (Morinda citrifolia)
Despite its concentrated cheese flavor and smell, this fruit originally from Central America, has innumerable benefits for health because it is rich in vitamins, fiber, proteins, calcium, and vitamin C. You can consume as a juice or tablets.
Carambola: Star fruit (Averrhoa carambola)
This Star-shaped yellow juicy fruit comes mainly from India but it´s also found in Central and South America. It has a juicy and citric flavor. It is used to garnish fruity alcoholic beverages.
Tuna: Prickly Pear (Opuntia ficus-índica)
A fruit that comes from a cactus; the spines are removed so that you may consume the fruit without danger of sticking yourself. It comes in a multitude of colors: red, purple, green, and yellow. It has a refreshing taste and juicy without being overly sweet.
Guanábana: Soursop, Brazilian Paw Paw, Prickly Custar Apple. (Annona muricata)
You have no idea what it is? This huge egg shaped fruit native to the Caribbean and Central America goes by many names and has a thick white pulp with dark brown seeds. It is considered a very strong natural anti-carcinogen due to its antioxidant properties. It is used for ice cream and juices.
For recipes with all these fruits mentioned above, I highly reccomend: http://www.yummly.com/
Food and drinks are what life is all about, isn´t it?
See you next post! -Don Lechón
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