I’ve decided to do something a little different today and bring you fruits from South America that you may or may not have heard of. I grew up with these and it brings back childhood taste-bud memories.

Sapodilla

Sapodilla is another popular delicious tropical fruit in line with mangoes and bananas. Its calorie-rich, soft, easily digestible pulp composes of simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly. Indeed, it is a vital source of vitamins, minerals and health benefiting anti-oxidant, tannins. 

Kaimite

A round fruit about the size of a tennis ball. It has a glossy leathery skin that is either green, purple, or some combination of the two colors. Inside is a purple and white milky flesh that exhibits a distinct star pattern. The fruit is sweet and eaten raw. Found in the Caribbean.

Govener Plum

The fruit of the Flacourtia indica which is a species of flowering plant native to much of Africa and tropical and temperate parts of Asia. The fruit itself is a pome about an inch thick and red ripening purple. It is very fleshy and has 6 to 10 seeds in layered carpels. The pulp is yellow or white and sweet with an acidic tang. It is eaten raw or made in to jelly or jam. It can be fermented to make wine.

Cashew Apple

The cashew apple is rich in nutrients and contains five times more vitamin C than an orange. It is eaten fresh, cooked in curries, or fermented into vinegar as well as an alcoholic drink. In parts of South America, natives regard the cashew apple as the delicacy, rather than the nut kernel popular elsewhere. Cashew apple is also used to make preserves, chutneys and jams in some countries such as India and Brazil. Cashew apples are not popular, in part because of highly astringent taste. This has been traced to the waxy layer on the skin that causes tongue and throat irritation after eating the cashew apple. In cultures that consume cashew apple, this astringent property of the cashew apple is typically removed by steaming the fruit for five minutes before washing it in cold water; alternatively boiling the fruit in salt water for five minutes or soaking it in gelatin solution reduces the concentration to palatable and acceptable levels.

So now you know, if you travel to any of these regions don’t be shy, try out the local fruits and delicacies and let me know, I look forward to comparing notes with you.

Cheers!