Friday, November 6, 2009

A lesson in Colombian Fruit (and a few Vegetables)


Chontaduro is grown on a tree and sold on the street topped with salt or honey. It tastes like a raw sweet potato.


Yucca is a common starch for lunch.

Uchuva

Tomate de Arbol. There are three varieties. This one was cross-pollonated with a Mora (blackberry) fruit, thus the dark seeds.


Sapote

Sandia pequena (small watermelon)

Pitaya is considered good for digestion.


Papayuela is generally not eaten plain, but is eaten with sugar or cinnamon and panela.


There are many different sizes of papaya.

Marta cannot remember the name of this fruit. Any ideas?

Mora makes delicious juice.

Mazorca is a large, soft kernel corn which is commonly found roasted on the streets.

Maracuya (passionfruit) has a very strong, but appealing flavor.


Colombian apples are harder and sour...better for baking.

Lulo is good for lowering your blood pressure.


Higo is grown on a cactus-like tree (also called "Prickly Pear.")

Habas are a giant dried legume commonly found in soups.

Guayaba is considered the cheapest and most nutritous fruit of Colombia.


Guatilla has the same flavor and texture as a potato, but grows on a tree.

Guanabana

Granadilla (we call it booger fruit) is the first fruit given to babies in Colombia. They start eating it at 2 months, without the seeds.


Freijoa

Curuba


Three common types of potatoes (for Ajiaco).

Coconut is commonly eated raw, fried, and shredded. Rice is sometimes cooked with coconut milk (near the coast).

Carambolo (we call it starfruit) is fun for decorating glasses of juice.

Arracacha is another member of the potato family.

13 comments:

  1. wow...amazing variety...i want to try them all!

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  2. wow, did i ever learn a lot just now!! i cook rice with coconut milk, too, if i have it, then add green onions or chives.

    i cannot believe how many new fruits you've just displayed. impressive!

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  3. What an adventure trying all those! How do Colombians eat their yucca-- steamed or fried?

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  4. I forgot to mention all the more familiar fruit we get here....different kinds of mangoes, lots of fresh bananas, plantains, kiwis, mandarins, tangelos, cantalopes, pinneapple (the best I ever had), and all different kinds of apples.

    Claire, I have only had they steamed, but I understand the fry them too.

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  5. Kezia shared Granadilla with me when we were studying in Guatemala. I felt like I was eating a brain, but it tasted really good. It still freaks me out though. :)

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  6. I soooo wish I could feed booger fruit to Mabel. She's not so wild about bananas or avocados, but how could she resist booger fruit??

    I feel sad for you thinking about you ever shopping in the Dillon's produce section again.

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  7. Holy cats! That's a lot of fruit!

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  8. Wow! Brings a whole new meaning to the idea of a cornucopia of fruit.

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  9. great post - i am really trying to learn of all these new fruits available here! Even the bananas taste different from the US..!

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  10. THE NAME FOR THAT FRUIT IS ALBARICOQUE

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  11. AND I WANNA TRY THEM AAALL!

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  12. Hello everyone, I'm an Italian currently living in Colombia....and I too can confirm here fruits is the best in the world!!! Pasquale

    tourguide@2005@libero.it

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